


Reparo

by LadyKenz347



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Complete, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hogwarts, Post-Hogwarts, Romance, Secret Relationship, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-21 09:23:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 45,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10682421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKenz347/pseuds/LadyKenz347
Summary: *Formally Bewitched*Reparo: The Repairing CharmMusical Recommendation: Adele, "Don't You Remember"After their secret affair during their last year at Hogwarts, Hermione and Draco's relationship ended abruptly. All Draco wants is a chance to explain, but Hermione won't give him the time of day. She turns up to the Memorial Gala on the arm of none other than Theodore Nott."He hadn’t even thought about it. He just… CRACK. Punched Theo right in his rotten fucking face. Serves him right, that slimy bastard. A smirk briefly played across Draco’s face, before realizing he was in the wrong place to go around punching Hermione Granger’s date.Hermione was then tending to that ass, as he nursed what Draco was confident was a broken nose. Meanwhile, Draco was being restrained by a bunch of off duty Aurors trying to make tough after a few glasses of champagne.Fuck.This is definitely not how he thought this would go. "





	1. ONE

364 days. Was that all it was? It felt like a lifetime ago, and not in an abstract way. It felt like she had lived an entire lifetime in the last 364 days.

Voldemort had fallen, and Harry had continued on as the Boy Who Lived. Then everyone was able to take a breath, but the breath was stuck and haggard. More like a choked sob while you’re still fighting against tears.

Eventually the breaths came a little cleaner, a little more natural. Hermione had changed into a completely different person in these past 364 days. She was more confident and secure. She wasn’t seeking acceptance and kisses from those who clearly did not deserve them. She was done wasting her time and efforts on those that didn’t even care if they had them.

At midnight, they would be celebrating the one year anniversary of the fall of Voldemort. Being back in this place, flooded memories of him. Stolen glances and broken promises around every corner. She shook her head, trying to disperse the memories threatening to invade her night.

Hogwarts had reopened in the fall, albeit slightly late for the term to begin. Hermione was glad she had chosen to take her NEWTS over the summer, and thus began her career; rather than redo her 7th term. To everyone’s surprise, especially Harry & Ron’s, she had no desire to walk these halls again as a student.

It would be a farce. An empty, hollow shell of what had been. So she just… gave up.

She received 10 Outstandings in her NEWTS. Still the brightest witch of her age. Not that anyone doubted it.

She had then accepted an entry level position at The Ministry of Magic in The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. After everything they had survived the last few years, she was happy to have a little sliver of normalcy.

She had Crookshanks and a tiny, cozy flat that was filled to the brim with magical and Muggle items to spare. There were books in every corner. Every surface had a blanket draped over it so she curl up to read, no matter where she sat.

Life was small, and while it sometimes felt a little empty, it was good; she needed good for awhile.

The gala below would be in full swing now. Hermione and her date had arrived a little earlier than the invitation had stated. She knew being apart of the Golden Trio meant that she would be passed off, danced with and forced into mindless chatter for the entire evening. She wanted a moment to just… be.

While she knew she had not wanted to return to Hogwarts as a student, she had wanted to have a moment in her alma mater alone. She had roamed for 15 minutes with no destination in mind, until she found herself at the Fat Lady’s Portrait.

With nothing but a curt nod and a knowing smile, the portrait had opened up to her for the countless time. The entire school had been dismissed for the summer holiday, and she stepped into the empty Gryffindor common room with a sense of longing.

It felt wrong to hear it empty. She hated to look at the couch and be reminded of Fred and George conspiring their next dastardly prank on an unsuspecting victim. She looked at an empty table that once had scrolls and textbooks covering every inch, and had been surrounded by her and her friends. She even paused at the spot where Ron had kissed Lavender; where he had effectively broken her heart all those years ago. She laughed to herself now at the thought. So much had changed

There wasn’t a spirit around her, but she felt horribly haunted by ghosts. She walked closer to the empty fireplace and it burst to life. Filling the small space with warmth that she desperately needed.

Her mind wandered off to her date, who she had abandoned upon arrival at Hogwarts. He was nice enough, and handsome to boot. She wondered if he had made it down to the dungeons to revisit his past as well. She smiled at the thought. How different life had become in only 364 days.

She felt lonely all of a sudden, and wondered why she had decided to come up here all alone. She should have waited for her friends. She felt a tear betray her, and quickly vanquished it.

She drew in a deep breath and smoothed her hands down her rib cage. She fussed with her gown, which was perfect and needed no tending to...but nervous habits and all. The dress was simple and elegant. It was a deep navy blue sweetheart neckline with loose chiffon hanging from her bare shoulders, it fit her form perfectly until it gently swelled at her knees in a mermaid silhouette. She had adorned it with the diamond studs she had received from her parents the Christmas after she turned 17 and a silver clutch that held a pretty solid Undetectable Extension Charm.

Just a few more minutes she told herself, then she would be off to find her date. They had been seeing each other for almost 2 months. It had only been a handful of dates and the media had held a bloody frenzy over it. She cringed as she remembered the headlines “Gryffindor Princess seen out with Snake!”.

Rubbish. She had only just managed to find herself out of the headlines after the war, after her and Ron had held that ridiculous press conference stating once and for all that nothing was going on, and then this had happened. Normal girls did not have to announce to Witch Weekly and the Daily Prophet that they weren’t dating someone. Normal girls didn’t have to worry about being seeing buying books next to someone for fear of it being a tabloid story.

The boys had gotten a little backlash on their personal life, but hers was always front story news. “Who will Hermione Pick Next?” “Fickle Female of the Golden Trio Tosses Out Another!” She rolled her eyes and ground her teeth at the thought.

She had resigned herself that it was time to join her date and the festivities. Just then she heard the creak of the tower entrance. She turned over her shoulder and her eyes caught sight of him. She froze.

No, she hadn’t quite expected to see him. Not tonight. Certainly not alone, and in Gryffindor tower.

\----

“Well Granger, I have to say you read exactly like a book.” Malfoy was leaning against the wall just inside the entrance, a telltale smirk screwing up his face. She had memorized his face over the last year, but it didn’t hold a candle to seeing him standing before her again.

He was all varying shades of moonlight and silver. His hair was cropped short and meticulously styled. His robes were, of course, tailored to highlight his slender, athletic frame. As much as she tried to push the thoughts of his chiseled abdomen out of her mind, they invaded like a horde of giants.

She closed her eyes at his voice and turned back towards the fireplace. “Well, sometimes life is just that ironic I suppose,” she said with the ghost of a laugh.

Steeling herself and filling her lungs with confidence she swore she had, she turned to face him. It had been 364 days.

She straightened her spine and tilted her chin up. She knew he hated that, as she glanced down her nose at him. He sneered for a moment, but it was fake. She could see it in his eyes. He wasn’t mad at her, like she had suspected.

“You haven’t been responding to my owls, Granger,” he said plainly, “not to worry, I’ve only sent a couple dozen. They’ve all returned without the note and with a full belly. So I know you’ve been receiving them.”

“Listen, Malfoy. I get it. I really do.Things ended, and I know we could have had some big last hoorah and goodbye, and all that. It wasn’t necessary. I understood where you were coming from,” she sighed, “Slumming it with me when you thought the world was going to end, and you were going to be Avada’d by a megalomaniac… It’s just, it is what it is. I don’t hold anything against you.” She offered an olive branch. She didn’t want to be having this discussion EVER, let alone right now when she was feeling particularly vulnerable. “Friends?” She extended her hand and offered a smile.

“You’re serious?!” He asked incredulously. “You are actually saying that I was slumming it with you? Aren’t you supposed to be clever? Brilliant, even? Did you read a single one of my --”

She silenced him with a wave of her hand and a fierce glare. “What are you doing here, Malfoy?”

He rolled his eyes and tore his frame from the wall. “Oh, back to Malfoy now is it?” He stepped dangerously into her personal space and she could feel his breath. “I seem to remember you calling me Draco over and over again not so long ago.”

She shivered at the thought of all those late night rendezvous.

“That’s where you are wrong.” She met his warm silver eyes with her own steely glare. “It was forever ago. And...and that’s ok. It’s ok. I didn’t expect anything from you, and I still don't. I don’t need an apology or a reason. I just...I need to go, actually.”

Yes, she had a date afterall. She was actually due somewhere, and did not need to be here having this incredibly awkward conversation with this too handsome Slytherin. She had another one to attend to.

She moved to sidestep him but he wrapped an arm around her waist, almost in an embrace. He dipped his head down to her shoulder, and breathed her name. Her breath hitched and her heart stuttered.

Maybe, it wasn’t that long ago.

A hundred memories flooded her thoughts at his touch. Late night library studying, to stolen kisses in charmed corridors, fleeting glances and scorched embraces. Dozens of petty bickerings, and almost the equal amount of make ups. She shook her head and tried in vain to clear the memories of another failed relationship that hadn’t even been given a chance to grow.

“What have I done that’s so wrong? You won’t even speak to me about this? I’ve tried, I keep trying. I just...meant nothing to you?”

Damnit. Tears again. She swore to Merlin. Do not let Malfoy see you cry. Ever. That’s your #1 rule, she told herself. She blinked them away while his breath still lingered on her bare shoulders and his fingers started swirling slow circles on her lower back.  
With a determination even Godric Gryffindor would be proud of she righted herself and pushed past him and out of the portrait.

\----

Maybe she shouldn’t be walking so fast down these staircases in these heels.The portraits came to life around her, reminiscing about the golden days of the Golden Trio, murmuring about some memory or another they all swore they had. It didn’t matter who or what it was, everyone clutched on the coattails of the three of them.

“GRANGER!” She heard from a few flights up. Oh, yes. That’s why she was running down the stairs. Just 30 or so more left and then she’d be back and safely away from any blonde distractions threatening to ruin her night, or rather her life.

As she rounded the last few steps she glanced warily behind her, and saw dress robes billowing down the stairs much too close to her comfort. Why he couldn’t just leave well enough alone. Her heel caught on a cobblestone and she clumsily slipped past the last step.

Luckily, right into the arms of her date. She glanced up through her thick lashes and felt a slow blush spread through her cheeks. “Oi, are you that eager to be back in my company?” A dazzling smile meeting her clumsy one. He helped her straighten, and brushed a quick thumb over her cheek. “I was beginning to think you’d all but Apparated off and left me to my own misfortune…”

“Actually…” She began only to be quickly cut off when he leaned in closer and whispered against her ear with a chuckle.

“You’ve told us all a thousand times, Hermione. We know you can’t Apparate on Hogwarts grounds, love.” Pulling back he gave her a quick, flirtatious wink and she returned it with a pursed lip admonishment and a playful glare.

“Malfoy?” her date puzzled and looked past her shoulder to see a winded Malfoy coming to a slow halt in front of them, trying to make sense of the scene in front of him. “Malfoy! Merlin, I never thought you’d be here, but I’m glad to see you, mate. I’ve heard so little about you since the battle, how are you? Man, I am glad to have another Slytherin here that’s for sure.” Her date admitted happily, grinning like a school boy. She wondered if he had always looked up to Malfoy, the way she imagined all the Slytherin’s did. Their Prince.

Hermione watched as Malfoy’s eyes narrowed at the arm casually around her hip, maybe even dipping lower than what would be considered appropriate for a 9th? 10th? Shit, had it been that many dates? She blushed at the thought that she had barely offered a couple of goodnight kisses to her suitor.

Malfoy noticed as she turned an even deeper shade of Gryffindor red and she prayed to the Gods that he didn’t get the wrong idea. Not that she knew why he cared what kind of idea he had… this was getting confusing. She shook her head and turned to face her date.

“Maybe we should find our seats?” she offered with a shy smile.

“Course, love.” he reassured giving her waist a quick squeeze, Malfoy winced. “You’ll have to excuse us mate, catch you for a drink later?”

“Oh, I guarantee I’ll catch you later, Nott,” he spoke through gritted teeth, “You know all these years at Hogwarts, I never realized we had so much in common.” He was staring directly at Hermione, who seemed to be looking anywhere else.

“Right…” Theo offered awkwardly, noticing Malfoy’s stares but brushing it all aside, “Well, I’ll see you in there!” He said brightly and turned Hermione towards the grand doors of the hall. He leaned down to whisper something about Malfoy still being a right git in Hermione’s ear, but she had betrayed herself and turned back, if just for a moment.

Her eyes caught the steel grey ones glaring back at her and she turned to ice under his watch. She hardly heard a word Theo was saying, before she heard their names being announced and a rapturous applause shaking the hall. She forced a smile on her face and became the Gryffindor Princess they all came to expect.

\----

 

How many glasses of champagne were appropriate for a 9th ...10th-ish type of date? Hermione had probably passed that number about 3 or 4 glasses ago.

She found herself being surprised. She was actually having fun, like a lot of fun. The band was pretty good, the bottomless champagne flutes even better. Her date had been dazzling her all night and swirled her around the dance floor with more grace than every single Weasley combined.

Not that she didn’t love the Weasleys’, to be sure, but they weren’t exactly the most graceful bunch, were they?

The room was of course beautifully decorated. Every inch was trimmed in rich fabrics and lit with shimmering candles. The enchanted ceiling revealed a starlit sky that twinkled down on them.

\----

She now sat at a round table near the dance floor of the great hall. At her table was her date, the ever charming, intelligent and witty Theodore Nott, Harry, Ginny, Neville and Ron. She giggled at almost everything that was said, before taking another sip of her champagne.

Harry gave her a knowing look that implored her to slow down a little, but she ignored it and looked elsewhere to have another sip.

She was a war heroine after all. This was her night! The band played for her, the enchanted ceiling sparkled for her, and the … blasted. Damn those grey eyes. She saw him lurking in the opposite corner. No doubt waiting to pounce on her and make her have some annoying conversation about what had or hadn't happened. Like it even mattered 364… she looked at the clock, no, 365 days later. Bastard. Just when she thought she might finally be able to-

“‘Mione, you think this sorry excuse for a Slytherin might let me push you around the dance floor for a song?” Ron clearly was trying to act like it was a joke as he stood and offered his hand while shuffling his feet.

“Well, with a sincere request like that! Who am I to say no?” Hermione giggled and stumbled a bit out of her seat as Ron caught her forearm.

“I’ve got you, Mione. Just like I always have.” She looked up into his clear blue eyes and saw...affection. Merlin, she missed this. She didn’t miss any type of romance with Ron. No. She missed someone just knowing her. Understanding her and loving her anyway. She hadn’t felt that in a very long time.

“Let’s dance, Ron. No one has stepped on my toes all night,” she laughed as he led her into a slower tune. It probably should have felt intrusive or inappropriate, dancing with her ex, but it didn’t. With Ron, it never did. He was like home. Comfortable and easy. Sometimes, Hermione almost thought that might be enough.

“Auror training is hell, you know. We miss you like crazy. Feels like we haven’t seen you in weeks.” He blushed and looked at their feet, trying to continue the streak of no one stepping on her toes.

“That’s because I haven’t seen you in weeks, Ron,” she pursed her lips lovingly. “I...I understand, you know. I’m not mad. We have all been so co-dependant for so many years, we are just trying to learn how to live our own lives,” she paused. “Well you and Harry are still together… and Harry and Ginny… so I guess that’s just… me, then.” Her breath caught as she the realization washed over her.

She was the only one not fitting in. If she would have not dumped Ron, they would still be a foursome. Would still be them. She wouldn’t have been her though, and that seemed like an important note to make.

She glanced over at her table and studied Theo for a moment. He was certainly handsome. He had bright blue eyes and thick eyelashes, a small nose and full lips. He was clever beyond comparison, sweet, patient and incredibly ambitious. He had already been promoted twice in his one year at the Ministry, surpassing even Hermione. Sometimes he seemed a little dull, but what he lacked in passion, he more than made up for with consistency.

He graced her with a shattering smile and she felt herself smile back. Why had she waited to progress things with Theo? He was a good enough guy, and Merlin knows she hadn’t always waited around for the good guys. He seemed to be a good match for her, but she until now had never viewed him as anything more than a casual companion.

“Mind if I cut in?” An accented voice interrupted. Hermione followed it, and found it to be Kingsley Shacklebolt.

“Well… who am I to turn away the Minister of Magic?” Ron allowed, and kissed Hermione’s knuckles and passed them gently off to Kingsley.

“What a night!” He proclaimed full of excitement. “It’s hard to believe that one year ago we were all facing what we thought was certain death, yet here we dance under a canopy of stars in wonderful company, no?”

Hermione beamed at her old friend’s words. She needed that reminder. “How right you are Mr. Minister. Certainly a night to be celebrated!”

They chatted about a few light Ministry affairs as the song slowly came to a close and their dancing matched it.

“Minister, I wonder if I might have the next dance?” She would know that voice anywhere and her shoulders tensed.

“My dear Mr. Malfoy! Well, of course I should have no qualms handing our Miss Granger over to you! Hermione, have you heard what Mr. Malfoy has been up to this last year?”

“I will make sure to fill her in Minister. Thank you.” He formally nodded and took Hermione’s hand. He spun her quickly but gracefully to the opposite corner of the dance floor .

“I find it funny…” clearly, she didn’t think anything about this was funny, “how I, Hermione Granger, big bad Mudblood heroine… am not able to decide WHO I wish to share a dance with. Instead, the previous escort decides who I am to be offered up to.” Her jaw was set and clenched and her eyes looking anywhere else other than on her companion.

“Hermione, please. Can we just talk? Will you give me but 5 minutes? Am I honestly not owed that?”

“OWED?” she shrieked. “You’re a bastard.”

The venom was thick in her voice, and a few other couples snuck a peek at the quickly unfolding drama. “You think I would so easily forget? I seem to remember overhearing a conversation between you and another slimy little git, was it Blaise? Oh yes, I remember now!”

She lowered her voice to imitate Draco's, as he clenched his eyes shut. “‘Don’t worry about all that, mate. You think I’d honestly risk the inheritance for that filthy Mudblood?’ What was it that came next?” She had stopped swaying in his arms then and the hatred slipped into her voice.

“I believe it went something along the lines of ‘Oh, you should have seen how she begged for my pureblood dick inside her. She would of done anything… and I mean anything…”

“Enough, Hermione,” Draco spat through a clenched jaw. “Enough.”

“Ohhhhh, it’s enough now is it?” She narrowed her eyes at him and saw nothing but a disgusting excuse for a wizard. “I can’t believe I ever trusted you. You disgust me.”

He flinched away from her words and finally let his hands fall away from her body.

“Right, glad to know how you truly think of me,” he muttered.

“Oh, that’s not that what I truly think Malfoy. I think you are a spoiled prat who has never had to deal with any consequences for his actions. You are a narcissistic, self obsessed asshole and you deserve no happiness.”

She was seeing red around the corners of her vision, and the champagne was making her feel a little fuzzy. With every ounce of strength she had she turned away from him and walked determinedly back to her table, swaying only once.

\----

Fuck. Was she seriously just not going to even fucking listen? Didn’t even care to hear his side of the story then. She had overheard part of one conversation with a death eater and she thought she had everything figured out.

Draco raked his hands through his hair and looked around the room for one friendly face. He found none. What the fuck was he even doing here.

This had been his one chance to talk to her, to make her see reason and he had shot that all to hell. He now sat in the room where he had invited a half a dozen death eaters to destroy and terrorize a school full of children. Everywhere he turned he was met with a questioning glance or a hateful sneer. Fuck, this had been a very bad idea.

He looked again at the table where Hermione had been seated. She was standing with her back to him and the Weasel was consoling her, rubbing her shoulders and sending arctic glances his way. Yea, and fuck you too Weasley.

He needed 10 minutes, no 5. Then he would explain this entire stupid situation and make it all better again.

When the ginger bitch brought her in for a hug, he almost retched at the thought of him hugging her. He turned abruptly and made his way towards the restroom. He made his way into a stall, if for nothing else other than to have a moment of solitude.

He placed the toilet seat down and sat on the lid. He raked his scalp with his finger nails and thought about what in the hell he was supposed to do now. This had all been for her. Fuck.

The door opened and a cheery whistle came through.

“Oi, so I didn’t know you were with Granger then?” an unfamiliar voice sounded

A scoff.

“Well, I don’t know how much you can say with. It’s been damn near 2 months and I still haven’t seen her knickers. It’s no worry, I’ll get there.” That voice, Draco did recognize and he steeled himself to pummel that bastard as soon as he could.

“Your dad would be turning in his grave, Nott,” the second voice offered with a laugh.

“He would understand. This world is just different than the one he raised me to be in. We all have to make do. I can sully myself with the Mudblood for now, if it means restoring the Nott name. Granger is… perfect for that.” Nott seemed to have it all figured out as Draco seethed in a toilet stall.

“You are still going to be those soiling your blood lines, mate.”

“Please. I’m no idiot. I’ll keep her around a bit, curse her womb. Once the Nott name is restored, Granger will be cold in the ground. My father didn’t raise a fool.”

Malfoy emerged just then shaking with anger. He appeared in the background of Nott’s mirror. He watched as Theo’s expression changed from surprised to angry in a matter of seconds.

Malfoy whipped the door of the bathroom open and made his way to the Great Hall. He searched about for Hermione and found her safely in the company of Harry “Poofy” Potter on the dance floor.

Damned if he do, damned if he don’t. Malfoy strode towards the smiling duo and pulled Hermione’s shoulder gently away.

“Listen, I need to talk to you. Now.” He was angry, and he couldn’t keep it out of his voice. Potter stiffened and made to put himself in between them. Hermione then placed a hand on Potter’s shoulder as if to calm him, and he thought his was finally his chance. His chest doubled in size, she was giving him a chance to just explain. That’s all he damn well needed.

Then, that fucking hand came snaking around her waist again. Slimy, fucking git. Draco bit his tongue so hard it drew blood. Theo was whispering in her ear and trying to turn her away. Malfoy had one last shot, and he reached out and grabbed her upper arm, about to beg.

Theo and Potter simultaneously shoved in him in the chest to push him back, and he caught a look of sadness in Hermione’s eyes.

He hadn’t even thought about it. He just… CRACK. Punched Theo right in his rotten fucking face. Serves him right, that slimy bastard. A smirk briefly played across Draco’s face, before realizing he was in the wrong place to go around punching Hermione Granger’s date.

Hermione was then tending to that ass, as he nursed what Draco was confident was a broken nose. Meanwhile, Draco was being restrained by a bunch of off duty Aurors trying to make tough after a few glasses of champagne.

Fuck.

This is definitely not how he thought this would go.


	2. TWO

Draco was caught swiftly by the elbows and was being dragged backwards towards the entrance and away from her. He started thrashing trying to break free, fully aware that they were not about to let him go. 

“Get your hands off me!” He screamed. The crowd parted, as he was dragged off like a damn criminal. He cringed taking in the looks coming from the other guests. He had horrible flashbacks to Slughorn’s Christmas party. 

“Hermione!” it escaped his mouth like a cry. 

Her head snapped towards him at the sound and her attention was off of Theo. She didn’t look furious at least, just confused. He could work with confused. Her curiosity might even send her over… and just as the thought finished, her face masked into anger. Well, he would have to work with furious after all. 

He could see her speaking softly to Theo and rubbing his shoulder. He was holding a blood soaked napkin to his face and had started to make his way back to their table. She stayed where she was for a moment, and then began her march towards him. A guise of steely determination settling over her recently soft features. 

“I’ve got this, gentlemen.” She spoke to Aurors but didn’t look at them. They released their hold on him. He popped his shoulders to right the fit of his dress robes, then began smoothing the wrinkles those clumsy asses had caused. He sneered at their backs as they strutted back in, feeling haughty and proud of themselves for taking out the trash. 

“Hermione, listen --” He was stopped before he even started by the look she was giving him.

“What in the hell were you thinking, Draco? How dare you lay hands on my boyfr-- er, date!” She corrected at the last minute, not sure Theo even qualified as a boyfriend. He scoffed and rolled his eyes. 

“Listen, I’m not jealous Granger. I need to tell you what I overheard in the bathroom. He’s not who you think he is--” 

“Oh, I’m sure.” She raised a hand to stop him, “I’m sure he’s an awful, sneaky bastard with nothing but ill intentions towards me.” 

“Well, that’s unsurprisingly, correct. He is all those things, and he is going to kill you after the wedding!” With that she erupted into a fit of giggles. 

“Wedding?! Ok, you’ve lost it.” Almost bent over with laughter at the man in front of her. “Trust me, there are no wedding bells in my future. I don’t see why you even care. I saw your betrothal in the Prophet.” She said haughtily, she seemed a little jealous. That earned another sneer from Draco and he scoffed at the thought. 

“I’m not marrying that bint. My mother has been trying to arrange that ridiculous a set up for years and you well know that I keep shutting it down. It’s just gossip trash.” He softened looking at her arms crossed over her shoulders while she stared at a spot on the wall. “I’ve never touched Astoria, and I would never. I’ve hardly been with another witch since you strode out of my life”

“Hardly?” Another jealous tone that gave Draco a ray of hope, “That’s not the point! You are free to be with whoever you wish, I just want to be left alone.” He watched the tears begin to well in her eyes. 

________

“Well” He spoke quietly, not wanting to spook her, “With your permission.. I’d like to be with you.” His voice was so gentle and he started to take another step towards her. “I can’t be away from you Hermione, I just need to talk to you. Please” 

She met his eyes and got a betraying look at his mouth just right above her eyeline. He was so close now. His hands reached up to rest on her shoulders. Her breath hitched and if she turned her face up ever so slightly, she knew that he would claim her mouth with a kiss. She almost thought about it, when the door opened behind her. 

She took a step back but didn’t take her eyes from his face. She allowed herself a thought she had been suppressing for the last year. She missed him. 

“Please. Can I just… talk to you?” he begged. 

“Ok,” It was a whisper, and she hadn’t even meant to say it. 

“When? Tonight?” 

She chewed her lip as she thought about seeing him alone, and she told herself she could be strong. She needed to have this conversation, to bury her past. Then she’d be free to move on, she might even be able to take things to the next level with Theo. She knew she was having some major trust issues, and they stemmed from being repeatedly rejected by the boys she fancied while she was a student in this castle. 

“It’s late already. Not tonight.” She resigned with a shake of her head. 

“Mione?” Harry’s voice. Come to rescue her. 

“Just a moment, Harry. I’m alright.” She gave him a small smile over her shoulder. She turned back toward Draco, who hadn’t even looked towards Harry. He studied every inch of her face, and he looked so bereaved. “Tomorrow, then.” 

His face lit up and she pursed her lips at him, trying to hide a smile herself. “Don’t even get your hopes up. And bring wine! I’m not having this conversation sober. I’ll let the wards down at my flat, so Floo over around 8.”

“Right, I’ll be there. Thank you.” He reached out to grab her hand but she turned quicker than he could touch her. 

_______

He wished none of this shit would have happened in the first place, but his only consolation was that after the battle, she had just vanished from his life. He never had to watch her walk away. Right now, watching her walk back towards Potter with his arms waiting and a soft word for her was beyond heart wrenching. 

It was almost comical, that he and Potter had been set up to be against each other. Both having their childhood stolen by the generation before them. Both being set for grander things than either one of them had ever wanted. 

Potter was always going to be the hero, and he the villain. Well, not while there was still some story to be written. Draco still had a few tricks up his sleeve. 

Potter put his hand on her lower back and led her back into the hall, but not without giving Draco a condemning look. 

Look back, look back. He thought to himself, if she looked back he had a chance. He held his breath as she stepped towards the doors and they magically opened to welcome her. 

Her eyes flitted for the briefest second at Draco, and she looked… hopeful. Damn it all, she looked hopeful. 

He turned and walked out of the castle and into the night. 

_______

Hermione spotted Theo at their table and let out a sigh. Harry was still escorting her and she could feel he had a 100 questions on the tip of his tongue. She had been Draco’s dirty little secret last winter and spring. She had kept their “relationship” from everyone, even her friends. So Draco’s sudden interest in her must seem rather surprising to her friends. 

“Is there anything you wanted to talk about before we get back, Hermione?

 

“Not that I can think of…” she lied, not daring to glance at his face. 

“So, you don’t have any idea why Malfoy would up and knock out your date? Then find him a slight breeze away from kissing you in the entrance hall?” Harry didn’t even sound mad, he just seemed a little confused. 

“Well, technically you asked if there was something I wanted to talk about.” Not so perfectly sidestepping that minefield of this conversation. “Just, I’ll tell you another time. Ok? The party’s almost over, and I need to speak to Theo anyway.”

“Ok, but Hermione, you know you can trust me. I know that Draco formed a soft spot for you last year, and you’ve been a saint towards him. He would have been truly lost without your charity.” Hermione pained at his words. He was so far from the truth. In many ways, Draco saved her, again and again. “I’m here if you need me. I know Auror training is kicking our asses these days, but I’ll just find the time,” he rushed. 

Hermione knew the boys felt guilty leaving her, but they weren’t kids anymore. Honestly, they hadn’t been for a very long time. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a squeeze. 

She didn’t need to say anything, so she left him a few feet from the table and walked back to Theo who had been healed up and someone had clearly cast Scourgify on his robes and face. He was in a conversation with Ron but he looked up as she stopped near the table. Theo clasped his hand on Ron’s shoulder and stood gracefully to stand near Hermione. 

“I am so sorry Theo. I honestly don’t know what Dra-- Malfoy was thinking.” She stuttered staring at her feet. “Does it still hurt?” 

“What? You don’t think that tosser could actually hurt me?” He ribbed, bending his knees slightly to meet her eyesight. “I’ve taken on worse than a Malfoy. I am a bit surprised at his intensity of distaste for me though, we weren’t exactly mates in school but I’m racking my brain trying to figure out what I could have done.”

She remembered an out, “He mentioned you said something in the bathroom that he overheard? Do you remember what you said?”

“Merlin, did I insult his favorite Quidditch team? You can never know with blokes like that. Let’s forget the wanker and enjoy our evening. I’ve hardly gotten more than a dance or two with you all night.” 

She reached onto her toes and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips. Her heart didn’t start racing and she didn’t feel flushed. But it was nice. He was nice, and this was nice. Who needed all that fiery passion rubbish. 

He gave her a quick spin resulting in a giggle and led her out to a song much more jovial than the one her and Ron had shared. They danced under an enchanted ceiling, surrounded by floating candles and champagne bubbles. They celebrated winning a battle that felt like it had ended years ago. 

_______

Hermione and Theo had shared a lovely late night stroll back to Hogsmeade where she side-alonged to the entry of her flat. He tucked a wayward curl behind her ear and kissed her sweetly goodnight. Letting the fullness of his lips lead the way, she contemplated asking if he wanted to come in, but didn’t. She wasn’t even sure why she didn’t, and she tried to ignore the flash of disappointment in his eyes. Ever the gentleman. 

She undressed and reached for her old Gryffindor tshirt, but paused. She peeled back a few layers of clothing to the well worn, deep green quidditch shirt at the bottom of the stack. She pulled it on and lifted the fabric around her neck to cover her face, to try and catch his scent. It was long gone. 

She made her way into her tiny bathroom and pulled her tamed curls into a messy knot at the crown of her head. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, taking a moment to examine herself in nothing but the old tshirt. She turned to look at the back, and the name MALFOY was stitched across the shoulders. She smiled as she remembered the moment she had taken it from him. 

\-------

“You know, I shouldn’t even be celebrating with you after you beat us. It’s not very loyal to my own house is it?” she murmured quietly, basking in their post-coital glow. Her back was bare and he was threading circles along her spine, grinning uncontrollably.

“Now, now… When did you become such a Hufflepuff?” he cooed, mocking her. It earned him a sharp slap on his chest. 

“Fuck!” Another SLAP!

“Language, Draco!” she chastised. 

He quickly rolled her on her back and began tickling her sides. She erupted into fits of hysterical laughter trying to squirm away from his relentless assault. He finally ceased and bent down to hover over her and brush a casual kiss across her lips. 

He rolled to his side and out of the bed and Hermione was left with a chill. Damn these dungeons for being so cold. 

“Draco, would you toss me my jumper. It’s freezing.” She pulled the blanket up to cover her chest and rubbed the tops of her arms. 

He was pulling on his boxers and a wicked smile stretched across his face. He bent down and grabbed his Quidditch shirt and tossed it at her on the bed. She didn’t even make an effort to catch it. 

“You’re joking. My jumper is just there!” She pointed right next to where his shirt had been. She could NOT put on that hideous color. 

“Oh come on, Hermione, just put it on. It’s my big night! Shouldn’t my girl at least support me in private since she was rooting against me the entire game?” She couldn’t help but laugh as he playfully pouted. She grabbed the shirt and pulled it over her head, noticing Draco’s approving stare as her arms reached over her head and he was treated to an undisturbed showing of Hermione’s chest. His tongue flicked out to wet his lips and his groin twitched. 

“You well know, that if you had seen me in the Slytherin section you would have fallen off your broom! You’d have nothing to celebrate then, so honestly you should thank me,” she rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. His eyes darkened at the sight of her in his shirt. “This shirt smells,” she said flatly, scrunching up her nose.

It was his turn to laugh then and he made his way back to the bed. He crawled over to her and kept crawling until she was flat on her back. He rubbed the tip of his nose across her lips and then kissed them, letting the intensity build with each second. She lifted her knee to hitch around his hip and felt him smile through his kisses. 

“Thank you.” He conceded. 

\--------

She had tried to give the shirt back when she snuck out of the dungeons but he had refused. “It’ll keep me warm to know you are wearing it now and then” and winked at her. Earning him a kiss and a smile. 

She hadn’t worn it in awhile, and she reasoned she really only wore it because the fabric was much softer than her other night shirts. 

She took a potion to avoid a headache from all the champagne and also her contraceptive vial as well. 

“Nox.” Using wandless magic the lights went out and she was left in the dark with nothing but the moon and stars illuminating her room. She rolled over and peeked out the window directly behind her bed. She stared at all those stars and wondered where Draco’s constellation might be hiding. 

If she was honest with herself, she thought about Draco often. He had hurt her so badly, and she often thought maybe she had acted rashly. The more time that she spent thinking about it, his actions hadn’t matched his words. She should have maybe answered his owls, let him explain, but after the war she didn’t want the drama. 

Ron had kissed her with such ferocity and passion in the Chamber of Secrets, she thought maybe she could be happy with him. Everyone had expected it and when it fizzled just weeks later, she hated having to make such a public declaration. 

She found that she was maybe… just maybe excited to see Draco again tomorrow. She had forgotten how drop dead gorgeous he was. It wasn’t fair that someone who had hurt her so much could cause these butterflies in her chest. She groaned and turned to lay flat on her back. 

Theo was safe. They could have a beautiful country home and work together to better the wizarding world. They could have a couple of kids and live a quiet life. All of this should be enough but she knew it wasn’t. She sighed, Theo was what she should want.

But, she wanted more. 

She had lived through more than anyone should be expected to, and while she didn’t need any more adventures, she still thought she needed more than that. 

That night, Hermione dreamed of the dungeons where she had once fallen in love. 

_______________

The next day went by rather dully. It was a Sunday, and while sometimes that meant she might pop over to the Burrow or go out shopping with Ginny, today she stayed in. 

She was feeling anxious over seeing Draco and didn’t want to risk anyone questioning too much. She still hadn’t properly explained Draco’s reactions and didn’t feel up to telling the truth, or lying, so she avoided it. 

She had visited her favorite magical cafe and spent the better part of the morning curled up with a book in her lap. She was the recipient of a few unwelcome stares and whispers, but that was to be expected. She wondered if the novelty of being a hero would ever wear off. 

She finished her tea and grabbed a sandwich from the counter before returning to her flat. She was wiping crumbs away from her face as she entered through her front door and took note of her tiny flat. Her heart dropped to her stomach. 

Malfoy was going to be coming over in just a couple hours, and she doubted he had even stepped foot in a place this small. She cringed as she noticed the water rings on her coffee table and the shredded armrest of her favorite chair that Crookshanks enjoyed using as a scratching post. 

Well, not much she could do it about now then could she. This was her corner of the world, and if he didn’t like it he could toss off. She unknowingly lifted her chin, even though there was no one there to see it. 

The rest of the day passed slowly. She tried to watch her tele, gave her parents a call and then felt anxious beyond belief. Finally after dinner, she freshened up and poured herself an incredibly large chilled glass of white wine. She started at the clock on her wall in the shape of a cat. It’s tail gliding back and forth in perfect timing.

7:56. She grabbed her wand and closed her eyes, she flawlessly adjusted the wards on her Floo, allowing visitors. A few people had access all of the time, but she didn’t want just anyone to be able to pop over. She took a big gulp of wine and waited. She tapped her nails on the counter top impatiently. She lifted the wine glass to her lips and finished the glass. Oops. That went down faster than she anticipated. 

She went to the fridge to grab the bottle and pour another, when she heard the floo roar into life. She closed the fridge and uncapped the bottle, not yet looking towards the fireplace. 

It was awkward that she wasn’t looking now, she should look, she reasoned. The wine was affecting her head already. She poured the glass and then peeked up through her lashes at the sight before her. Her breath left her body as she took in every inch of him. 

He was wearing charcoal grey trousers that were tailored for him perfectly and shiny black expensive looking leather shoes. He reached up to undo the clasp around his cloak and took it off grandly, folding it over his forearm. He had a simple white shirt on, the first button undone and the sleeves neatly folded just below his elbows, and she watched as the muscles danced beneath his pale skin. She gulped. 

“You’re on time.” 

Had she actually just said that instead of an actual greeting? 

She winced at her awkwardness and took another large drink. He laughed dryly and entered farther into the flat, not taking his eyes off her. “Would you like a glass of wine? Or a firewhisky? I think the boys left a bottle around here somewhere…” She trailed off, trying to not meet his eyes and instead faking to look for the bottle even though she knew exactly where it was. 

“I’d love a drink, thank you. Whatever’s easiest,” he purred. He was so graceful, it pained Hermione. She wasn’t a slob by any means but everything he did was effortless. 

“Right.” She turned and grabbed a small tumbler and the bottle of firewhisky in the cabinet by the fridge. She poured it with trembling hands and cast a chilling charm on the liquid. She might have to switch to something stronger herself. 

Had she always been this nervous around him. She turned to hand the glass to him and realized he was much closer than he had been just moments before. She all but ran into him. 

“Er, here you are,” She looked up then and met his stare. He looked sad and hopeful all at once. 

“Can I kiss you?” he asked smoothly. She gaped at him. 

“You absolutely may NOT!” She shrieked, “What in the world would possess you to even ask such a thing!” She shoved the glass at his chest and he took it from her with a laugh. She turned to return to her drink.

“Can you blame a bloke for trying? What if you had said yes? Would have saved myself all the trouble of trying to figure out how to sneak a kiss in later.” Her back was to him and she allowed herself a small smile before returning to a scowl when she turned to look at him. 

“How about I save you the trouble, Malfoy. There will be NO kissing!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't blame our boy for trying, right? 
> 
> The scene after the Quidditch game was one of my favorites to write, and I really need to own that shirt in real life.


	3. THREE

“How about I save you the trouble, Malfoy. There will be NO kissing!” she huffed. She grabbed her glass and made her way over to the couch. She perched in the corner of the cushions and drew a blanket over her legs.

Draco smirked, taking a long drink and made his way into the living room. He draped his cloak over the armchair and she noticed his eyes flick over to the stuffing falling out from Crookshanks latest episode. She flushed.

For the first time, Draco looked all around the room, taking in the various glimpses into Hermione’s life.

The walls were all brightly colored, which he hadn’t expected. Her living room was a deep plum and her kitchen a teal. They didn’t seem to go together, but somehow they did.

There were piles of tomes stacked in every corner and mismatched tapestries everywhere. He eyed a particularly worn book on her end table, “The Magic of Muggleborns: An Indepth History” and smiled to himself as he took another drink.

“I like your place, Granger. It looks like you.” He sat in the opposite corner of the couch, though he didn’t curl up like she did, rather he draped his arm across the back and crossed his ankle over his knee.

“Is that an insult?” she asked, knowing he didn’t mean it that way. She didn’t know why she was being combative, old habits and all.

“Not in the slightest, just an observation.” He provided simply. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment, no one wanting to make the first move. He took a deep breath and started to speak but she beat him to it.

__________________

“I don’t know exactly what you came to say, but I can only assume. I just want to tell you, I’m ok.” She couldn’t look at him. “I mean, when our...thing started, it was so fun and exciting. It was so forbidden. I don’t blame you for being the person you kept warning me you were.”

Draco sat staring at her while she made her admission and his heart fissured. He swallowed a knot of emotion, and looked down.

“Granger, come off it,” his arrogant tone thick. “I’d venture you know me better than anyone, and you say this shit to me?” She winced at his tone.

“I never expected anything from you Draco. I guess, maybe, a little more respect than having you call me your whore to your mates.” Her lips pressed into a thin tight line and she didn’t say anything more.

“Oh bullshit,” he spat, and slammed his drink down, a little liquid toppling over the edge. His temper was betraying him. “Bullshit! You know I didn’t mean that!”

He was on the verge of yelling. He picked up his drink again and finished the rest.

He stood up to pace back and forth, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. “Blaise knew about us. He’s a bleeding Death Eater, Hermione. A real, no nonsense, murderous Death Eater. He was threatening me.” He was rushing everything out, and Hermione just sat in silence.

“The battle was coming, he knew you were my soft spot. I was just trying to get him off of your trail.” Draco was so angry speaking about it again, he seemed to be getting a headache.

“I would have said anything to keep you safe. You remember how it felt in those final days, we knew something big was coming. I couldn’t risk my father coming after you, or anyone else who thought they had a vendetta against me. I was going to talk to you, explain what Blaise had said.” He explained, his voice imploring her to just understand.

“Then the battle happened that night… I remember.” She said quietly.

“I couldn’t get to you after...my father… well, that doesn’t matter now. My mother was hysterical. I had to leave, and I figured we would get the chance to talk after everything settled down.” He was lost in his broken heart. “I’ve made a thousand mistakes in my life, Granger. Probably more than that. But there is nothing I regret more, than not coming to get you in the Great Hall.” He was staring at his feet, his cheeks slightly pink.

He looked at her sitting on the sofa with her empty wine glass perched in between her knees. He went to his cloak, the lining had an undetectable extension charm cast on it and pulled out a wine bottle. He walked over to her and filled her glass and sat down next to her.

“I was in the dungeons to come and get you,” she finally spoke up, “I had arranged for you to be Floo’ed out of the Headmaster’s office.” She spoke quickly, remembering all of the emotion that had been flooding her system. They were so close to having this all behind them, and she wanted Draco to be away from it all.

“I knew I couldn’t ask you to choose. Your father was going to be in that battle... and then when I heard you speaking to Blaise, I couldn’t bare to even confront you. I figured you’d already made your choice.”

That night, all she had cared about was keeping Draco safe. No one should have to choose between Patricide and watching their friends die. She felt tears stinging the backs of her eyes and looked out the window behind the couch.

He reached his arms around her to bring her into an embrace. It would have been awkward if she resisted, but to his incredible surprise and even greater joy, she dropped her knees to the side and scooted into his arms. She snuggled into the nook of his arm and buried herself there. She felt like home.

Draco didn’t know the last time he had felt this incredibly happy. He didn’t quite know what this meant, but it meant something.

He turned his face to rest his chin on her head and instead buried his face in her hair. He had missed the way she smelled and it immediately brought him back to another time.

\-----

_“This shit is fucking pointless, Granger. I don’t know why they even have us learning it. It’s bullshit.” Draco slammed his book so hard the solid oak table shook and shoved it to the other end. His head collapsed and rested on his forearm._

_“It’s not bullshit, as you so eloquently phrased it. And if you want to pass your NEWTS you ought to pay more attention. Now tell me again, what is a telephone?” She quizzed, not breaking a sweat over her pupils temper tantrum._

_At the end of last term, Draco had met Dumbledore on the Astronomy Tower. He confessed that he had come there to kill him but he instead begged for amnesty and help from the Order for him and his mother. He swore to do Dumbledore to do everything in his power to right the wrongs of past._

_Harry had sat petrified underneath them, listening to the entire conversation. Finally realizing that he had been right all year about Draco being a Death Eater… but he also found out that he was so wrong about Draco Malfoy in general._

_After the confession, Malfoy and Dumbledore went straight to the Room of Requirement where they quickly destroyed the Vanishing Cabinet that Draco also admitted to mending in order to allow Death Eaters in._

_Some could argue that Draco Malfoy saved Hogwarts and Dumbledore’s life that night. Others could also argue that he was really only saving it from himself, but Hermione liked to view the glass half full. Draco had spent an entire summer in hiding in the Muggle French countryside. He had returned to Hogwarts under a strict probation and several extracurricular responsibilities, such as serving as an assistant Prefect. Ultimately meaning he had no power, but a lot of bitch work._

_He was required to take Muggle Studies and was appointed a muggle tutor, in the form of the head girl herself, Hermione Granger. The first few lessons of the year had been...tense. Most of the school knew nothing about Malfoy’s near slip into the dark side last year, but Hermione as part of Hogwart’s very own suicide squad, knew everything._

_The rest of the school had thought that Malfoy had gone mad. He kept to himself mostly, was quiet and only truly socialized at Quidditch practice. He spent his time studying and performing his mandatory probation, which normally had him acting like some wet Hufflepuff and helping the younger students find their way around the castle and the teachers with extra credit._

_Hermione paid close attention to him during their study sessions. He didn’t seem to mind meeting on the weekends, which was surprising. He refrained from calling her filthy or a Mudblood, which was even more surprising. He often challenged her and called her a know it all, but he didn’t seem quite so hateful. He seemed...sad. Worried, even. He seemed to have an awful lot on his shoulders, and she couldn’t quite bring herself to berate him as she would have done before._

_“Telephone? Er, they are boxes with the pictures on them. They move, but they aren’t enchanted like a portrait. They show scenes of either real life or portrayal of life.” His eyes were squeezed tightly shut and he was pinching the bridge of his nose._

_“No…” she winced as she said it. She really was rooting for him at this point._

_“FUCK!” he slammed his fists down on the table. Normally Madam Pince would have been yanking him up by his shirt by now, but as the head girl’s star pupil, they were allowed to stay later than the rest of the student body. The library had been clear of another soul for at least 20 minutes, and they were trying their hardest to push through the chapter on Muggle communications._

_“You’re so close, honestly Malfoy. The words are just so similar. What you’ve described is a teleVISION. So just think of it as…” She paused to think and let out a giggle, “Oh, of course. You use your VISION to see a teleVISION. And you must listen… PHONEtically to use a telePHONE.”_

_“Right. You’re mocking me then,” he rolled his eyes and couldn't believe she was using such a childish tactic on him._

_“No! Truly, I am just trying to help. It might seem silly, but just trust me. When it comes down to it, you’ll remember.” She offered him a smile and returned to her study materials._

_They had began sitting closer lately. Draco didn’t know who started it. The first few weeks they sat at near opposite ends of the table, but seat by seat, week by week they got closer. They now sat right next to each other._

_He could smell her hair and he wondered why he ever thought she was filthy. She smelled rather clean. She must have used strawberry shampoo, because as he inhaled a deep breath he felt like he were standing in a field of them._

_Hermione felt his stare and timidly peeked up from her book. “What? Is there something on my face? She turned towards him and started wiping imaginary crumbs from her cheeks and lips. She paused when she noticed that his stare had moved from her general face and was now staring at her parted lips. Without any intent she flicked her tongue out to wet them, a nervous habit._

_Her heart started pounding in her chest as he dipped his face slowly towards hers. Hermione sucked in a breath like she was about to plunge into icy cold water, but she didn’t resist the kiss. She instead closed her eyes and waited expectantly. When there was no contact, she had a brief moment of panic. Was he about to start ribbing her for wanting a kiss? He would probably tell the entire school by breakfast… when all of a sudden, impossibly soft lips captured hers._

_It was the shyest kiss she could ever remember having. Like his lips were slow to introduce themselves and terrified of rejection. She smiled a bit at the thought of him being scared of her rejecting him._

_He pulled his mouth away when he felt her smiling, thinking she might be laughing at him. She quickly corrected and moved her mouth after him, stealing a kiss on his territory. His eyes opened at the surprise of her brazen action, but they then realized that the other one would not reject the kiss, would not humiliate them for it, and they settled into a kiss that had more heat behind it._

_They took turns taking the lead with the kiss. Each one showing each other the way they wanted to be kissed. Hermione, taking her time with each press of lips, alternating between showing her affection to his upper then his fuller lower lip. She leaned her hands onto his knees and finally pulled away to offer a sigh of contentment against his lips._

_At this, Draco decided it was his turn and turned the kiss into a rather heated affair. He drew his hands up around her face and buried them into her curls. Turning her head slightly so that he could part her lips and dip his tongue into her mouth. She gasped in surprise but he only groaned in response. Taking his time to explore every taste bud. He slowed at last, only to offer a few lingering kisses at each corner of her mouth and then again fully on her lips._

_As he pulled away and looked at her face, she slowly opened up her eyes and he thought they looked like melted amber. He rubbed his slightly swollen lips together and she smiled coyly at him. A thought dawned on him… she tasted like strawberries too._

__________________

Hermione wasn’t quite sure why she was snuggled up against Draco’s chest.

Wine. It was always the blasted wine.

She believed his explanation about what he had said to Blaise, honestly she did. She think she might have always known that he hadn’t truly meant it.

She wondered why she had treated Draco so rashly. She had never offered him a chance to explain, and had closed the door on them before they’d ever even had a chance. Really, she knew why.

Hermione had never been some great beauty at school, she was often teased for her cleverness and reliance on the written word. She questioned why she was even sorted in Gryffindor, as she never really felt all that brave. Tenacious maybe, but not brave.

She wasn’t one to put herself out there unless she was completely sure of the outcome. In classes, that was never the problem. She always knew the right answer. When it came to boys, that was another matter.

Viktor had truly made her believe that she was interesting and beautiful. His affections never waned throughout the tournament and she thought they might have a future. It wasn’t until she overheard some of those Drumstang tossers bragging about how Nicolay had won the bet by taking one of the Patil twins to bed. Well bed wasn’t exactly right, it was actually a broom cupboard. The other 4 boys tossed over satchels of coins, including Viktor who was angry at not winning himself. She had been broken hearted.

Then Ron. Oh, Ron. How many heart bruisings could a girl take? Even after years of unrequited feelings and neglect, she still gave him a chance. Shared a kiss with him not hours after over hearing Draco tell Blaise how low she was.

Hermione, swallowed down a knot and sniffled, brushing a few wayward tears away from her cheeks.

“Why are you crying?” Draco sounded alarmed, and moved her away so that he could study her face.

“It’s nothing,” she wiped more of the traitorous tears from her cheeks and turned out of his arms.

“Let’s just get this all out, Granger. I don’t want to leave anything else up to your interpretation, which has really cost us a lost this year,” he grinned “If you’d like to say you were wrong, this is a totally appropriate time to say it…”

“Toss off!” She playfully pushed his shoulder and felt the last of her tears subside. “It’s honestly nothing, I just am confused. I've been burying all of this for awhile, it’s hard to deal with it again.”

There was a brief silence between them, he was allowing her to gather her thoughts and she was desperately trying to make sense of them.

“I think I knew you didn’t mean what you said to Blaise. Even when I was hearing it, it didn’t match with what our relationship had been…” she rushed out, taking no time to breathe.

“I knew you were meant to go off and be with a beautiful pureblood,” he scoffed at her words but she didn’t stop, “She’d like to throw parties and have little blonde babies, she wouldn’t want to work, and wouldn’t give you grief for having a house elf. I knew all of this.. I mean, I know all of this. It was just easier to just believe you were an asshole and leave you, then to get any hope that there was going to be an “us” after Hogwarts.” She had begun crying again and her #1 rule of never letting Malfoy see you cry had been shattered time and again tonight.

“That life you just described, is not mine. It’s the life my father might have mapped out, but I turned away from it a long time before you were ever even really in my life. I decided for myself that night with Dumbledore. I haven’t done anything to deserve you not trusting me, you're punishing me for the mistakes of some other wankers that didn’t know what they had. And don’t even start me on Weasel king. You started seeing him what, 48 hours after “ending” it with me?” She blanched.

“Although you didn’t actually end it, did you? You just never responded to me. And I had to see the world’s golden couple paraded through every newspaper for weeks.” He was angry by the end of his speech.

Hermione was going to say something, but she couldn’t think of a single thing. She hadn’t really thought about Draco during that time, at least not empathetically. She hadn’t thought he might have been hurt.

“And just so we are clear, you fucking promised there was nothing going on with that ginger plonker. Swore up and down that that was over and you guys were friends. How long did it take you two to shack up after the battle?” She cringed at the venom coursing through his voice. He stood up and started pacing again. “No, honestly, I want to know. When did it happen? It couldn’t have been but a few days later and I started seeing the headlines”

She sat quietly, refusing to answer.

“Merlin, I guess I at least expected you to say the newspapers were full of shit Granger! You know, twisting your friendship to sell some more copies. But I’m taking your silence as agreement that you did fucking cheat on me.” He sat in the chair and pushed his fingers through his hair, groaning in annoyance.

“Of course I didn’t! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!” Now she was pissed as well, but her logical side was telling her she might not have a reason.

“So you weren’t dating him after the battle?” He knew the answer. She couldn’t lie about it now, if she ever could.

“Does it even matter, we aren’t together now.” She was still trying to skirt around having to tell him exactly how long.

“Um. YES! YES IT FUCKING MATTERS!” He was actually yelling at her. Shit.

“Ok, well just calm down! I will tell you what happened if you honestly want to know.”

“Of course, I don’t want to fucking know.” He looked at her with a disgusted sneer. “The thought of Weasley touching you, it disgusts me. But I have to know, so on with it.” He wasn’t even looking at her. She owed him the truth, after all she had put him through this year.

“Well, after I overheard you and Blaise, I turned and ran back to the Great Hall. The order was there, and they were laying out battle tactics. Harry had managed to root out the last of the Horcruxes” he rolled his eyes, “but they needed to be able to destroy it. So long story short, Ron and I were sent down to the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve a basilisk fang…”

“Oh what a romantic little outing for you both.” He mocked.

“If you’re done with your little fits…” She pointedly stared and he rolled his eyes and went back to staring at the wall.

“There was just a lot of emotion, we all thought we were going to die. The boy I lov-- had been spending my time with, had just degraded and humiliated me… Ron didn’t know any of that of course and we were just overcome. We didn’t know if we were dying down in that cave, or up in the great hall or in the courtyard. It just happened.”

He stared at her, gaping. “Did you have sex with that soon to be dead git, not but a few hours after you supposedly “dumped” me?”

“That is NONE of your business! How dare you! You are honestly such a prat, Malfoy.” She huffed.

“I’m going to kill him, you know that don’t you? I’ll be in Azkaban the rest of my miserable life, but I’m going to murder that bloody tosser. Stupid fucking weasel.”

Hermione groaned, “No, ok. We did not. You can settle down now!”

He sighed in relief, clasping his hand against his heart. Then a thought crashed into his conscience. “Wait. You didn’t then, or you didn’t at all?” He peered out the side of his eyes at her.

She pursed her lips and resigned to tell the truth. “Ron and I have never had sex.” he breathed and clutched at his chest, “But we have been intimate in other ways. I will NOT tell you one more detail, so don’t ask. Our relationship lasted maybe 7 weeks before we knew that it was all that post war glory and societal pressure keeping us together. We were certainly not meant to be. We have spent the last 10 months learning how to be friends again, and it’s finally getting back to normal.”

“Ok, I won’t kill the weasel.” He compromised, “But I promise you, I am getting him back for this. I can’t believe you’d even let him touch you!” He seemed genuinely put off by the idea.

“Oh, and what’s all this from Mister ‘I’ve hardly touched another witch’? Care to elaborate on what exactly hardly means?” His brow furrowed in thought, clearly deciding between a truth and a lie.

“I got too drunk. I was after all, a little lonely after leaving Hogwarts. Most of my mates being shipped off to Azkaban, dead dad, depressed mum, abandoned by my girlfriend.”

Hermione’s heart sank and she wanted to start crying again. She had been so focused on her own recovery she had never given any thought to Draco’s.

“Anyway, yea. I slept with someone else. It had been months since I’d heard from you, it didn’t mean anything and it happened once.”

“Ok.” Hermione didn’t want to know anymore. She felt truly awful. “Well, it is, what it is. No changing the past.”

“What about the future? Because I know I want you in my future Hermione. What do I have to do show you that?” His disposition changed, and he softened as he spoke the words.

She stood up and set her glass on the coffee table. She shrugged, “You could ask me on a date.”

“A date?” He was honestly a little surprised at the idea. “I like the idea of a date. I’m really quite charming when I put my mind to it, I bet I would be an amazing date.” He offered her a dazzling smile and she playfully rolled her eyes at him. He came over to wrap his arms around her waist in a hug, when she froze.

“Theo.”

“Excuse me? It’s Draco... Malfoy at the very least. I have to say this is not a good step towards reconciliation calling me that prat’s name. Which, I still have to talk to you about that…” he trailed off at the look on her face.

“No... Draco. It’s Theo?” Her eyes focusing on the Foe Glass on her mantle in confusion, Hermione didn’t own a Foe Glass. “Where did that come from?”

Theo’s face was becoming more and more clear in the glass, meaning he was almost right outside her door. Draco whipped around to study it for himself.

“I brought it, I hope you don’t mind. But I wanted a little bit of proof in case I needed it. We have to get you out of here.”

He noticed that if the Foe glass was correct, Theo was too close. Damnit, he should have been paying attention.

A couple of knocks rapped against her door and a jiggle of the door handle. “Hermione? Love? We need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I have COMMENTS! WHAT! 
> 
> What are our thoughts on Theo? 
> 
> I'm so excited for you guys to see the rest of these chapters :D Tell me what you think about this chapter! I am going to keep working on these final edits, and I'll get the rest of the chapters up ASAP.


	4. FOUR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super soft SMUT ahead. I am horribly nervous about writing those types of scenes... but if I don't get smut when I read Dramione, I feel so very disappointed. So it's here. It's probably crap, but it's here. I drink lots of wine when I write it. 
> 
> This chapter also contains maybe my FAVORITE flashback! Well there are two I just can't get enough of... but this is the first! 
> 
> Four chapters in one day! I'm loving the few comments I've received so far. I am going to really push through the last chapters (there are 11 and an epilogue). 
> 
> Hoping I can have a few more chapters up tonight! But alas, I need to feed my child some dinner. 
> 
> **Closes laptop sadly**

Well, Hermione wasn’t one to normally use profanities but, FUCK. Theo did not usually just show up... and Draco Malfoy certainly wasn’t normally here. Think. THINK.

“Coming!” Hermione shouted, as Draco slapped a hand over her mouth and backed her towards the farthest corner of the room. Her eyes were wild with confusion and anger at being man handled in such a way.

“Are you stupid?” He hissed. “Did you not just realize he showed up in a FOE glass? He means you harm, you stupid witch,” Draco was snarling, “Get him out of here. NOW.” Draco released her face from his aggressive hold, and moved with long strides towards her bedroom. He disappeared around the corner, but didn’t close the door.

Hermione was breathless when she opened the door, smiling a too big grin. “Theo! What a surprise!” She glanced over her shoulder towards the kitchen counter where her wand was resting. She pushed a little of wandless magic and was relieved when it twitched on the tile. She could Accio it if needed, and that gave her a little confidence. “What can I do for you?”

He smiled largely back at her, “What can I do for you? Is that a joke, love?” He laughed at her formality. “Are you feeling alright?” He put his hands on her shoulders and stepped back, appraising her. He leaned in laughing still and pressed a casual kiss against her lips. She prayed that he didn’t feel her tense. He moved past her into her small living room, and she swore to Salazar that she would send him a good thought every now and then if Theo wouldn’t notice the empty wine glass and tumbler on the coffee table.

She thought of a lie.

“You know, I’ve had a couple drinks.” she laughed awkwardly “Harry was able to stop by for a few minutes, and we got to talking. I’m sorry I’m so flighty.” She lied easily, gesturing towards the glasses.

“He did? Huh, well that’s wonderful! I thought he said last night he was headed out for the week today for training. He must have meant Monday.” She winced. Ok, not a good lie.

“Anyway, what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise visit?” Crookshanks meowed in the bedroom, most likely at Draco intruding. It took every inch of her strength to not glance towards to her right.

“Well, I have a surprise for my girl, of course.” His smile was so genuine and infectious she found herself smiling back at him and meaning it. “I have spoken to my grandmother, and have acquired the family cottage for a few days! What is your general disposition on Tuscany?”

“You’re serious?!” She was excited. She didn’t mean to be, but her feelings for Theo didn’t exactly vanish because Draco had suddenly reappeared.

“How about…” he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, “I whisk you away for a long weekend? We will drink wine, eat bread and cheese and of course your favorite, pasta. Watch the sunset and spend the entire weekend nestled in the Italian hills? Yes?”

“I don’t even know if I can get away…” She was smiling and on the verge of saying yes. She had honestly forgotten Draco lurking in the other room until he just strolled out casually, holding Crookshanks in the crick of his arm.

“Babe, did you feed Crooks?” He said, as if it were nothing. As if he said it everyday and this was the most ordinary thing. Her head snapped towards the bedroom door and her jaw hit the floor.

Theo instinctively and protectively pushed Hermione behind his back and squared his shoulders towards Draco, gripping his wand.

“Oh Theo! Hermione, you didn’t say anyone else was stopping by. Can I grab you a drink, mate? How’s the nose?” He couldn’t hide that blasted smirk screwing up half his face as he made his way into the room grabbing his tumbler. Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Ass.

“Hermione. Please tell me what in the world is going on here. Do I need to hex Malfoy? You said it was Harry who was here?” He eyes darting madly back and forth between the two of them.

Draco lifted his glass and non verbally filled his glass with more firewhisky. He shot a wink Hermione’s way and downed the drink before filling it again.

“Well, ok...” She was buying time and paused as Theo turned towards her, looking at her inquisitively.

“Mione, what is going on? Why was Malfoy in your bedroom?” He asked softly, staring at every inch of her face. There was hurt right on the edge, but he was fighting it off.

“Ugh, OK! Well Draco and I had something we needed to discuss, last night after he hit you I wouldn’t hear him out. Obviously.” She stared pointedly at Draco and pursed her lips. “So he begged to come over today, and I allowed him to.”

A dry laugh came from Draco as he leaned casually against the kitchen counter.

“Ok, why does he know your cat?”

“Just from school, he is being a prat. Please excuse him.” She said flatly “Anyway, I am very sorry for the circumstance. I’m sorry for lying about Harry being here as well…” she turned pink and looked at the ground.

“It’s alright love, I trust you.” He brushed a sweet thumb over her cheekbone and her flush deepened. He was being incredibly sweet this evening, more so than any other evening.

“Why don’t you go ahead and tell her what you said in the loo at the gala then, you slimy git?” Draco still had his back turned to Theo but was shaking with anger, and Theo was burning a hole in his back. He took a few steps towards the kitchen, and Hermione stole a glance at the Foe Glass on her mantle. Theo was clear as day. She was confused, but she wasn’t sure she trusted the glass and had a flash of not trusting Draco as well.

“Right. Of course, mate.” Theo smiled flatly at Draco and then turned and faced her, “Hermione, I work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, obviously, you know that. So when a fellow Slytherin, and supposed revival enthusiast of the death eater movement asked me about my relationship, I lied. I said some truly horrible things to save you from them targeting you. This tosser,” he motioned towards Draco, “wouldn’t give me a moment to explain, stormed out, and when I tried to talk to you both he… what exactly happened? Oh, yes. He broke my fucking nose.”

Draco turned then and his face was in disbelief.

“Wait, so what exactly did you say? Something that would anger Draco so much?” Hermione then re entered the conversation.

“It doesn’t matter..” Theo skirted.

“Actually, it does.” Draco chimed in, now walking into the living room and draping himself across the same chair his cloak was draped on. Hermione glared at him for sitting so… so… presumptuously.

Theo gave him a hate filled stare and then turned softly to Hermione, who was waiting expectantly for a response.

“I told Carter that I was using you to bring my family name back to power.”

“And…” Draco goaded.

“And,” Theo was now talking through gritted teeth, seething with anger at Draco. “I said that you would be cold in the ground before the Nott name had a child by you. Hermione, you know I can’t tell you everything about my job. Please, I have never done anything wrong by you, Carter is a suspected revivalist. You can check that tomorrow morning.”

“Oh bollocks, this guy is no good. Don’t be stupid, Granger.” That infuriated Hermione, he was now insulting her.

“...Okay.” She said softly. They both looked at her.

“Okay?” They said at the exact same time, waiting for more.

“Okay.” She raised one eyebrow and pursed her lips. “You both go.” She moved towards the door and opened it up, ushering them out with wave after wave of her hand.

“Granger! We aren’t done talking, this fucking wanker is not going to interrupt this conversation.” He was yelling at over Theo, who was calmly stating --

“Hermione, please. You know this can’t be true, he is manipulating you. He wants something. He’s a Malfoy!”

“Yep. Yep. I hear you! Uh huh, I totally get it!” All but pushing them out the door and into the hall.

“What about our date?” Draco insisted, slamming his frame against the door to stop her from closing it. That stopped Hermione. She seemed lost in thought as she considered actually going on a date with him.

“Ok. A date. Don’t give me that look Theo, we aren’t exclusive. I can have a date, for Merlin’s sake.”

“Right, then what about Tuscany? Next weekend?” His eyes lit up with hope as he pushed even past Draco. She considered it again. A shrug of her shoulders gave her an answer before she even knew it.

“Ok. Tuscany. Sounds fun.” She knew she should be more concerned with the Foe Glass, but couldn't Draco have brought a charmed item? Even if not, they didn’t call her the brightest witch of her age for no reason. She’d handled worse than Theodore Nott.

“GRANGER! Are you fucking mad?!” Draco was now yelling.

“Ok, boys. This has been fun!” She closed the door in their faces. She turned and placed her back against the door and slid down. “Accio wine glass” she murmured. An empty wine glass sliding into her hand. She used non verbal magic to fill it and downed it quickly.

_______________

“You think you’re so smart don’t you?”

“Oh you have no i-fucking-dea.”

“She won’t believe you. She’s too smart. She is going to figure out what you are doing.”

“Right.” He stepped in, too close. “Dear old Dad will be turning in his grave, come next weekend. Imagine, every surface I’m going to claim my little Mudblood.” A snarl spreading across his lips.

It took every ounce of strength to not pummel Theo right in his fucking face again. He would make Hermione see. Theo stepped back then, and walked out of the hall. A pop of apparition sounding, once he exited the wards surrounding Hermione’s flat.

Draco should have left, honestly. But his stuff was still in her place, so he turned and rapped his knuckles quickly on the door.

Hermione opened it with a word for the knocker on her lips but Draco ceased that thought. His hands wound their way into her hair at the nape of her neck, his mouth claimed hers and she gasped at the intensity. He was possessing her mouth, claiming it as his own, pushing her lips farther apart and massaging his tongue against hers.

Draco pushed his way into her flat and kicked the door shut as he pushed her against the wall inches from the door frame. His hands dropped from her neck and slid down her frame until it found her bum. He squeezed and lifted her up effortlessly. To his surprise and excitement she quickly wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms linked around his neck. She arched into him and a soft moan left her lips and fell against his mouth.

He stiffened at her response and pressed forward. He tore them away from the wall and walked them towards her bedroom with her legs still tangled around him. His mouth found the soft spot right under her jaw and she purred in response when he nipped at it.

She started tugging at his hair and he moaned with every pull. They were in a frenzy. He felt her grind against his hardness that was barely touching her softness, but it made him ache.

He pushed her away from him and she fell against the bed. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips parted. She was resting against her elbows and she looked delightfully ruffled. Her hair was in a nest around her head.

“Take your shirt off.” He commanded.

“No. You take your shirt off.” She challenged with a flirtatious smirk. That earned a wry smile from Draco, and he quickly and deftly unbuttoned each button on his collared shirt. She could win this round.

He stiffened as she gaped at his torso, drinking in every silver inch of him.

Hermione adored his body. He was all lean muscle and ha a seeker’s build that Harry had never acquired. He was fit without being bulky and she found she really wanted to run her tongue along his dips.

Hermione shyly crossed her arms and grabbed the hem of her own shirt, she pulled it over her head and found that even after all the times he had seen her in much less, she was as shy as ever. Draco’s eyes drank in her form as tho he was a dying man in a desert and she was a glass of water.

Draco swiftly crawled up her form and hovered for a moment, letting his eyes travel deliciously slow down her body. Hermione smiled at him and rested her palms on both sides of chest, feeling them fill and empty a few times.

When Draco lowered himself to kiss her lips again, it was slow and deliberate. He moved his affections down to her neck, to the spot right above her collarbone that always earned him a soft purr. He palmed her breasts, trying to remain gentle. He was ravenous in his want to be as close to her as possible, but he found himself overcome with emotion at being in her good graces again.

He had fallen in love with this girl over a year ago, and losing her had left him a shell. Now he was so close to getting everything he wanted, and so close to losing it all for good. Draco wasn’t sure if Hermione still loved him. He knew that she had, although she had never said it. But a lot of time had passed, time has a horrible way of changing things. He might have his work cut out for him yet.

With each kiss he was asking instead of demanding. He was exploring like he had the first time, and let his hands feel every inch of skin he could. She sighed his name, “Draco”, and it was an acceptance, a permission, an invitation.

“Nox.” She whispered, wandlessly extinguishing the light in her room. Draco pulled back and smiled at her.

“Lumos.” The room filled with light again, and Hermione was completely puzzled. “You’re barking if you think I’m going to miss one minute of this, Granger.”

Draco dipped his hands into her knickers and found that she was perfectly ready for him. As he explored her folds again, she whimpered and bucked under his deft fingers.  
Surely, she could hear his heart pounding. He pulled her underwear down her long, slim legs.

He kissed up her body, letting his lips flit across her skin as he found his way back to her mouth.

Poised at her entrance, he entered her swiftly, leaving her gasping for breath. He took a moment, pulled almost out completely and then brought himself to hilt again.

He continued this relentless pursuit for a few thrusts. She started to beg for more, and he was more than willingly to oblige. They crashed against each other, finding they were always the juxtaposition of each other. Dark and light. Slytherin and Gryffindor. Hard and Soft.

As he pushed endlessly into her, he felt her start to quiver around him. He flexed his hips to reach that sweet spot, and she purred and tightened on his member. As she panted his name and found her release, he followed shortly after.

They wrapped their limbs together and fell into a beautiful, dreamless sleep.  
____________

_Shit. Malfoy was heading straight towards her, she froze in her tracks before quickly turning down another corridor._

_As she turned she realized this wasn’t much better, as the corridor was short and had just a few doors on either side before ending at another door. No way out. She clenched her eyes shut and grit her teeth. She couldn’t hear his graceful movements behind her, but knew he was there._

_She felt a hand on her elbow that quickly pushed her into the unused classroom to her right. Her lips still pursed and expression haughty._

_“Malfoy. Is there something I can do for you? As head girl that is?” She quickly amended her question. She refused to look him in the eye, refused to cry. There had been an unspoken rule of hers, to never let Malfoy see her cry. It was implemented in her second year, but recently it had been her mantra._

_Everytime she saw him in the Great Hall or he made eye contact during class, she would swallow a knot and look away quickly. Bugger, she had been so good at this for the last week._

_“Granger! You’re harder to catch than a snitch.” His eyes narrowed in annoyance at her, “What are you playing at? I haven’t been able to get a minute since....” His voice trailed off, she knew he was alluding to their secret late night kiss that ended rather abruptly when a Ernie Macmillion came bumbling in taking advantage of prefect status toting along a giggling 5th year Hufflepuff to a dark corner of the library._

_“Well, there hasn’t been anything for us to discuss.” Hermione was not playing the nonchalant, breezy role she had practiced. Her arms were folded crossly across her chest, her foot turned out and she wouldn’t even look at him. No, Hermione did not do breezy._

_“Um. We could have discussed the fact that you snogged the breath out of me not a week ago? Then began ignoring me immediately after, as though I’d given you warts!” She flushed at his words, and her mouth slackened briefly before she slammed it shut._

_“I have to go, I have… to study,” she conjured an excuse right out of thin air, how’s that for magic._

_“Granger, you have never had to study. You just do it for fun.” He mocked, “What is going on?”_

_“Listen, it’s not a big deal. Things got out of hand the other night, it was late. I don’t expect anything. Let’s just… drop it.”_

_She felt a little deflated even saying it. She hadn’t wanted it to be nothing, she had quickly become charmed by Draco’s wit and good looks. He wasn’t so bad once you spent a little time with him, and realized that most of this awful character traits were childish acts to get attention, most likely from his father she had rationalized._

_“And if I don’t want to “drop it? I rather enjoyed snogging you, Granger. I wouldn’t mind making it a repeat occurrence.” There was that damn flirtatious smile, rendering her momentarily speechless._

_“Well, I’m not sure if I have somehow misrepresented myself, but I am not into the same type of relationships you are, Malfoy.”_

_“And what exactly does that mean?” He was genuinely confused, she could see that plain on his face._

_“I came to the dungeons on Sunday.” She stated, waiting for his inevitable chagrin. It wasn’t coming._

_“Ok.” He started at her patiently, waiting for whatever she eventually was going to reveal. When she didn’t speak again, instead was just staring down her nose in an arrogant fashion that Draco well recognized, he responded, “And why did you come to the Dungeons?”_

_“I came by around 9:00, to uh… to see you. I had that Muggle book you had asked about. Do you have any idea what I might have witnessed around 9:00 on Sunday?”_

_The look on Draco’s face went from puzzled, to understanding to wincing in the matter of a few seconds._

_“Yes, glad to see the broom finally got off the ground. I happened to walk in, like a complete bint, swallowing my own pride and insecurities, only to see what!” She was yelling now and using every ounce of strength not to give in to the prickling behind her eyes._

_“Listen, I know it looks bad....” He began trying to explain._

_“PANSY! I mean, I know you guys had your, whatever, but you could have mentioned you had a sodding girlfriend!” She shoved at his chest and made to storm out. Her hand made it to the handle and it promptly slammed shut again as Draco reached it just miliseconds after her. “You cheating bastard!” She screamed shrilly._

_“Whoa Granger! I wasn’t aware we had made anything exclusive. I mean, what type of girlfriend would you be for ignoring me for a week?” he laughed, and she genuinely considered punching his beautiful, annoying face._

_“Not cheating on me! You incorrigible ass!” Her face red with anger, “You used me to cheat on Pansy. As if she didn’t hate me enough as it is.” She huffed at him, “Don’t get me wrong, there is no love lost. I think she’s a rather pug faced brat in her own right, but I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to assist you in cheating on her.”_

_“Shit. Ok, just hear me out.” Granger stomped over to a desk and pushed her bottom on the top of the desk and crossed her hanging legs. Her arms still angrily crossed in front of her, waiting for the excuse of the decade. “Ok, Pansy and I have always been kind of off and on, obviously. I mean, we don’t really love each other, no of course not. She’s kind of a shallow person.” A scoff escaped Hermione’s mouth, as if she didn’t know that. He glared knowingly at her._

_“Brilliant.” Hermione said sarcastically._

_Draco raked his hands through his hair. “Pansy and I have been, whatever we are, since 3rd year. It’s been long expected that we would enter into a marriage contract after Hogwarts. Our parents have discussed it openly on many occasions.” Hermione was openly gaping now._

_“So I not only helped you cheat on your girlfriend, but your bleeding FIANCE?”_

_“She’s not my fiance! We have been on again since the start of the term, but that doesn’t really entail all that much, right? I mean it’s for appearances. For our families. We have reputations to protect, and both of our names have taken a beating the last few years. Anyway, what you saw… What exactly did you see?”_

_“Hah! Why don’t you tell me happened? You know what? No. Don’t tell me. It’s none of my business what you and the future Mrs. do behind closed doors. Just leave me out of any future narratives of this love story, I don’t belong in it.”_

_“Oh blimey, it’s not even like that!”_

_“So I didn’t see you curled up in the corner of the couch with her? Your arm around her shoulder? I didn’t see you kiss her not 24 hours after kissing me? I didn’t see you grab her hand and lead her to your dorm?!” She was shrieking and Draco looked like he wanted to move his hands up to protect his ear drums._

_“Ok, but to be fair that’s just the way Pansy and I are. It’s nothing. Even when we are off, she’s just affectionate. She’s also my best friend since I can remember. She thinks I have a lot of power and she likes to stay close to power. It’s the way we’ve always been.”_

_He didn’t seem to think there was much wrong with this. If Hermione were being honest, and she really didn’t want to be honest, she, Harry and Ron were often the same way. She had often found comfort in the arms of her friends when times were hard. They had draped her in a lingering hug in front of the fire when she missed her family. Harry had let her cry into his shoulder when Ron had kissed Lavendar in front of the whole house._

_She sighed._

_“It’s fine, Draco. I mean, I would have rather we not kissed under these circumstances, but it’s fine.” She resigned that staying mad at him caused more trouble that it was worth._

_“I was hoping you’d say that…” He marched determinedly towards her where she sat on the desk. She quickly uncrossed her arms and held them up in front of her. Pushing against his chest and he came in for another kiss._

_“MALFOY! What exactly do you think you’re doing? Did you not just say that you were very much ON with Pansy Parkinson?”_

_Draco groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you not listening? It’s not real. I don’t actually want to be with her!”_

_“So what? I am the mistress before you even have the wife? I think not. I don’t know where you exactly got the impression that I was a casual kind of girl, but I assure you it couldn’t be farther from the truth. You’ll be getting no kisses from me, Draco Malfoy. Not while you still call Pansy Parkinson your girlfriend.” She shoved off the desk and made her way towards the door, and this time he let her go._

_________

_The next morning Hermione pushed an egg soaked breakfast sausage around her plate lazily. Her chin was resting in the palm of her hand, and she had tuned out her friends chatter about the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match next month._

_“...you are NOTHING! Do you understand me? You think it’s going to be better without me? You will soon have absolutely nothing, and that’s exactly what you deserve you unbelievable BASTARD!”_

_Pansy Parkinson was shrieking at the top of her lungs, hovering over Draco, while he sat there nonchalantly, not even looking up at her. Snape’s eyes were locked on them both and he was standing from the staff table and making their way towards them. Every eye in the Great Hall was on them._

_“Right, are we done here Pans? It’s all getting a bit old, actually.” He said lazily._

_The screech that escaped Pansy’s mouth could curdle milk. It rivaled even the worst howler Molly Weasley ever sent. Snape reached them then and grabbed Draco’s collar, pulling him to standing and took Pansy by the elbow. He began leading them out of the Great Hall, but Draco quickly reached forward and snatched a fat green apple from a fruit bowl in the center of the table._

_He locked eyes with Hermione and took a long, delicious bite of his apple, throwing a flirtatious wink her way with a dazzling smile. Hermione felt a slow, crawling blush spread over her cheeks and down her chest. It must have gotten at least 10 degrees warmer in a matter of seconds. She watched as Snape dragged them from the Great Hall and her friends all started talking all at once._

_“--I mean I hate her, I do, but doesn’t she realize even she can do better than Mal--”_

_“--They should just sign the contracts and be done with it. Their annoying love affair is such old news! --”_

_“-- didn’t even know anyone could reach that level of sound, I think I hear some werewolves howling. Oi, Mione! Why are you smiling like that?” Ron bellowed from a few seats down. “It’s happened, mate. She’s gone mad,” he whispered conspiratorially to Seamus._

_She was absolutely sporting a face splitting grinning._

_“Did you know that was going to happen Hermione? He seemed to look right at you.” Ginny whispered_

_“I had no idea. Who knows what goes on in that boy’s mind.” She lied through her teeth and took a big bite of her scone. “He’s intolerable.” Her mouth full, channeling her inner Ronald._

_She couldn’t help but continue on her with her private victory. She didn’t particularly like Pansy, and by that she meant she hated her. But she didn’t mean to be the other woman. She hadn’t wished for Pansy’s public humiliation, of course not, but it seemed Pansy was the one doing the humiliating, and that really wasn’t any of Hermione’s concern._

_She had no idea what would happen when she saw Malfoy next, and an entire coven of butterflies moved into her upper stomach at the thought._

__________

_Hermione’s day went on and she scurried from one class to the next. She was happy it was almost the weekend, and only had to suffer through one more class: Advanced Potions. She drew her cloak around her and flipped through the chapter they would be covering today, although she had already read it twice._

_A pair of hands reached out and pulled her into a… a wall?_

_Hermione hissed into the darkness, her breath leaving her._

_“Glamour Charm, Granger. Mastered it 4th year, of course.” Malfoy was dangerously close._

_“Well aren’t you the clever wizard. What exactly do you think you’re doing anyway?” She questioned haughtily._

_“Collecting.” He smirked, and leaned in with a wicked smile._

_Hermione let out a giggle, and very agreeably returned the kiss back to him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, I am loving writing the Prequel to Bewitched. Scenes like this flashback are the reason why. 
> 
> What did you think of this flashback??


	5. FIVE

Hermione couldn’t help but smile as she drew lazy circles on Draco’s chest. He had thoroughly sated her, more than once, and they know lay in the throes of post-coital euphoria.

This was uncharted territory. There were no dungeons or towers to sneak out of, no teachers to avoid or classes to ditch. They were, for all intents and purposes, adults.

Hermione’s legs were tangled with Draco’s, and she rubbed her calf along his shin and felt the hair tickle her smooth legs. Draco’s fingers were a mess in her hair, picking out individual curls and coiling them around his ring finger before springing them loose.

They hadn’t spoken in awhile, but it was comfortable. Every now and again a prickle of guilt regarding Theo would try to break through her bliss, but she batted it away for now. As she had said, they weren’t exclusive.

Crooks pounced up and landed directly on Draco’s groin, causing him to jump and haphazardly try to protect himself. He failed, and the cat perched himself there, meowing in his face.

“Granger. How many more years do I have to suffer this damned feline?” He was staring disgustedly at Crookshanks flat face. Hermione playfully batted his shoulder.

“Don’t say such a thing! You’ll offend him!” She reached over and gave the sweet boy a small nuzzle behind his ear. “You’re such a good boy.”

“MEOWW!”

“Oh you’re hungry, aren’t you boy? Draco, I have to run to the loo, would you feed him?” Draco was appalled at the insinuation that he should not only tolerate this blasted creature but care for him as well. “Oh don’t give me that withering look Draco Malfoy, if you behave you might even get to spend the night.” She leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose.

“I swear woman, you were mis-housed. You are a Slytherin to the core. That’s coercion if I’ve ever heard it.”

“I am a witch of many talents, Mr. Malfoy.” Hermione sat up on the right side of the bed and stretched her arms and neck. She reached down to grab her shirt, and found lasts night still laid on floor. She turned a gave a wicked smile towards her bed mate and found that he was staring appreciatively at her bare back.

She pulled on the old Quidditch shirt with MALFOY on the shoulders, and heard a groan come from the other side of the bed. She quickly felt herself being pulled onto her back, and she giggled as he crawled on top of her again. He was sporting a grin that could melt a dragon’s egg.

“MEOWWWW!!!”

“Argh! That blasted cat!” He threw a pillow in the direction of the noise.

Hermione giggled again.

“Feed him then. I’ll be back in a moment.” She kissed him again and slid out from under him, tiptoeing out of the room.

“Oh, I’ll feed you alright…Let me find a bit of poison around here and ...” Crookshanks pushed his nose against Draco’s and let out a purr. Draco rolled his eyes and reached up to scratch the animals neck.

After a moment, Hermione reappeared.

“Well, aren’t you two a sight for sore eyes.” Hermione was leaning against the door frame casually.

“I’ve been blackmailed. And have I told you, how incredibly sexy you look in green? It’s a good thing you weren’t sorted Slytherin, or I’d have never been able to take my hands off you.”

“You never were able to, once I let you the first time.” Hermione rolled her eyes and padded out to the kitchen where she filled Crookshanks bowl. He came prancing out and hopped up onto the counter where he primly ate at his cat food.

She twisted her curls up into a messy knot that sat high on the crown of her head, and mentally reminded Hermione gave scratched his neck and jumped as Draco’s arms wrapped around her waist.

“You have bewitched me, Hermione Granger.” He nuzzled into her neck. “And to risk sounding like a complete sap, so help me I will say this only once… I missed you.” He confessed.

“I missed you too, Draco. Honestly. I might not have allowed myself to dwell on it, because it hurt so much. But I did miss you.” She turned in his arms and kissed him sweetly.

“So, are you going to tell Theo tomorrow that you aren’t going to Tuscany?” He asked innocently. Hermione tensed and turned back around, shrugging off his embrace. “You aren’t thinking of still going?” He pressed.

“Well I hadn’t really thought of it, to be honest. I’ve been busy since he asked me.” She said and walked back into the bedroom, suddenly feeling he was very underdressed. She picked up his shirt and tossed it at him as he followed her. He responded by quickly snagging it out of the air, and throwing it back on the ground.

“So you shag me, tell me you’ve missed me, then run off into the hills with that Death Eater scum?”

“Oh Theo, is harmless! And I think we’d all do well to not judge each other on the sins of their father.” She glared pointedly at him.

“I’m not calling him a death eater because of his father. I’m calling him a death eater because he is one.” He stated cooly.

“He doesn’t have the mark, trust me. I would have seen.” Draco’s started vibrating with anger.

“Merlin’s beard, Granger! Is there anyone you did not shag in the last year?” Hermione turned quickly and instinctively brought her hand up to smack him across the face. His seeker reflexes caught her wrist, and he looked embarrassed. “Shit, I didn’t mean that. You know I didn’t.”

“You’re an impossible arse, Draco Malfoy! He’s worn T-Shirts around me, I’ve seen his forearms. There is no dark mark there.”

“I’m telling you right now, I was at his initiation. I saw him get the mark. There are charms to hide it, but I assure that you man has a mark. And past that, he is up to something. He is using you, and if you let him get far enough away with it, he will kill you.” Draco implored, trying to send every ounce of sincerity towards her, “Nott Sr. has killed 3 wives, who were all pureblood. I shiver at the thought of what would happen to you.”

“He doesn’t seem to be a fraction as conniving and malicious as you seem to think. He’s rather gentle and soft spoken.”

“Slytherin.” Draco sneered, “He’s just a very good Slytherin.”

“Well, couldn’t someone say the same about you?”

“They could, and they’d be right.” He grinned at her, “Which is why I always think ahead, and am most likely 10 steps ahead of that stupid wank.”

Draco turned and walked out of her room, and to Hermione’s disappointment thought he might leave. Until she realized his clothes were still in a heap on the floor, so unless he intended to floo home in his boxer-briefs, he wasn’t leaving.

Draco returned with his cloak and his wand drawn. He pulled from his pocket a miniature bowl. It looked like it belonged in a doll house.

“Engorgio.” Draco subtly twisted his wand at the tiny bowl, and it enlarged to a pensieve, floating in the middle of her room.

“Seriously? And how do I know you haven’t tampered with the memory?”  
Draco brought his pointer finger to his temple and tapped. “Slytherin, love. I have prepared for all outcomes.” He reached into his cloak again and pulled out a small vile.

“What is that? Veritaserum? You are so dramatic.” She rolled her eyes and huffed at him. Bringing Veritaserum just to make her see his point.

“Now, I haven’t pulled the memories. Under the effects of the potion I won’t be able to alter any memories, so you will see them as I do and in their entirety. I’ll take this, and pull both the memory from the Anniversary Gala and that Death Eater garbage’s initiation. You’ll see.” Draco reached up and removed the cork, with his teeth and pressed the vial to his lips.

“Wait!” Hermione reached out and stopped his hand, and he obeyed. “You don’t have to take that. I trust you. Besides, how do you know I won’t ask you something completely unsavory. You’ll be under the effects for at least an hour.”

Draco reached up to cradle her cheek. “Nothing you have ever done could be construed as unsavory. And I trust you too. Besides, I’d tell you anything you wanted to know.” With that he downed the small vial.

_______

_Hermione’s skin felt alive. She wanted to scratch the first three layers off, like tiny microscopic bugs were crawling under skin. She looked around her, and saw Draco next to her. Somehow, he was paler than his normal moonlight coloring. He looked gray and sick. His eyes darting back and forth._

_She gasped as she noticed the enormous circle of hooded figures, all standing quietly while a large, blazing fire roared in the middle. She was completely in awe at the sheer number of them. There must have been a hundred Death Eaters gathered, but the only sound was the crackle from the flames._

_Down maybe 4 or 5 people to her left she noticed Theo. He looked calm and held his head down. He looked up at her, but of course he couldn’t be looking AT her. He was looking at Draco, and gave him a half smile and a nod._

_A black smoke billowed down from the sky and there, in a instant, stood Voldemort. Hermione looked away quickly, she had seen him only briefly at the battle of Hogwarts, and she didn’t want to look at him too long. Like the evil was contagious by sight alone._

_“My faithful followers,” his voice dripping out of his mouth, his eyes slits in a pallid face. “Tonight, we welcome yet another son into our ranks. Nott!”_

_A masked figure stepped forward and fell to his knees, “My Lord, I offer to you my first and only son, the heir to my name.”_

_“Come forward, young Nott. Kneel before me and profess your fealty before all your brothers.” Voldemort’s knotted fingers wrapped around his wand and was pointing at Theo, who stepped boldly forward. He fell to his knees next to his father and kept his eyes at the ground._

_“My Lord, I come to humbly ask you to accept me into your circle. I will serve you without question, even if means my death. I will look to no other master and hold you in the highest. I swear to it, before my father and at your feet.”_

_Voldemort seemed to inspect Theo, turning his head back and forth while keeping a wary on him._

_“A test, I think.” He said finally._

_“My Lord? A test?” Nott Sr. spoke from behind his mask._

_“That is what I said, you fool! Now, Wormtail. Bring forth the filth.” Voldemort turned quickly on his heel and his robes billowed behind him. Hermione glanced back at Draco, who looked like he wanted to throw up._

_Wormtail dragged a beaten and obviously tortured woman forward into the circle, throwing her in front of the two Nott’s._

_“This woman is not worthy of the magic she possesses. She poisons the very air we breath by just existing, and we must rid the world of her kind entirely. Nott Jr, do you agree?”_

_Theo looked compliant, content, happy even. “Absolutely, My Lord.” He nodded._

_“Let us see if your actions speak as loudly as your words.”_

_Theo stood and drew his wand. The woman was collapsed on her knees and her head bowed. “CRUCIO!” Theo spat with malice, his wand pointed at the center of the woman’s chest._

_As she bent under the spell and her head whipped back at an unnatural angle, Hermione noticed that she was a cashier at Honey Dukes. She often put an extra sweet into Hermione’s bag with a wink, and she never knew why. Hermione realized now that she might have known that she was a Muggleborn witch. She had stopped working only a few years ago, and Hermione’s stomach wretched._

_She felt horribly ill, having flashbacks to her own time under the Cruciatus curse. She wondered which one of these hoods was hiding Bellatrix._

_As she spell died away, the woman fell face forward, her breathing haggard. Voldemort lifted his wand and with it, her broken body levitated into the air._

_Theo seemed to be concentrating awfully hard, his knuckles white as they clutched his wand. When he opened his eyes they were filled with a hatred that Hermione didn’t think possible._

_“Avada Kadavra!” A jet of lime green magic shot from his wand and in a blink, the woman’s last breath left her body. Her body fell from the sky and hit the soft earth with a thump._

_Hermione cried to deaf ears._

_“Well done, my boy!” Nott Sr. stood and clasped his hand on his son’s shoulder, Theo looked at him with admiration, a smile splitting his face. Hermione wanted to vomit. Those lips had kissed hers._

_She watched as Voldemort branded his arm with the inky tattoo, speaking some dark spell into the night. Watched as every Death Eater stepped forward to congratulate both father and son._

_Hermione stepped back to be by Draco, feeling safer even by the memory version of him. A hand startled her as it invaded her peripheral, it clasped around Draco’s shoulder._

_“It will be your turn soon, my son.” Lucius Malfoy’s voice close to Draco’s ear. She stared at them, and saw something in Draco’s eyes she hadn’t seen before. Fear._

_The scene before her vanished into smoke, and she was in the bathroom stall in Hogwarts. She listened as she heard Theo’s voice explain his devious plan, followed Draco as he interrupted Hermione and Harry’s dance, then watched in joy as he broke Theo’s nose._

_The scene again dissipated, as she watched aurors charge Draco tearing him from the room. Hermione expected to be brought back to the present, but she instead saw a scene from just hours ago. Watched as Theo described how he was going to have Hermione in Tuscany. Saw the evil in his eyes as he backed away from Draco._

_When the smoke cleared for the third and final time, she was back in her bedroom. She turned to face Draco who was lounging casually against her pillows. He had a knowing smirk on his face, and his hands were clasped behind his neck._

 

\------

“Welcome back.”

“That rotten, two faced, BASTARD!” She was seeing red around the edges of her vision. “How dare he! Rotten, nasty, Slytherin SCUM!”

“HEY!” He argued

“Sorry” She quickly amended, “But seriously! Oh I’m going to show that nasty little arse, just what it means to mess with Hermione Granger.”

Draco sat forward and clapped his hands together. “Right! Glad you can finally see what I’ve been talking about!” Draco was relieved. “Now, just owl him and let him now Tuscany will be off, and all will be right with the world.”

“Oh, I’m going to Tuscany. Make no mistake about that.” Hermione was still rigid with anger she didn’t even know she was capable of, and she had spent the greater part of her life fighting a megalomaniac who was intent on exterminating her kind.

“Did I just hear you right?” Draco hissed, his eyes narrowing so thin they rivaled Voldemort’s.

“I am bringing that bastard down. He is clearly in kahoots with revivalists, I’ll infiltrate and bring the entire damn lot of them down.”

“What is a kahoot?” Draco asked innocently, the anger passing momentarily.

“Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter, what matters is, are you going to help me?”

“Shit Granger,” he rubbed his face, “Let’s at least get some sleep first. Then we will go over your plans for world domination over breakfast.”

She wasn’t keen on agreeing but she did. She followed Draco to bed and after hours of scheming she finally fell asleep in his arms, surrounded by the smell of apples and parchment.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't go into much detail with the last two memories in the pensieve, after all we had just seen them play out the last few chapters. 
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying so far! Any requests on what you'd like to see in the prequel to Bewitched?? I had a request for this story (I won't spoil it until it happens) but it was pretty far out there. I had fun working that scene into the story. I'd love to do it again with the prequel! Let me know!!


	6. SIX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEWARE: more poorly written smut ahead

The next morning over tea and eggs Draco and Hermione argued over her plan to bring down the revivalist moment. Draco thought the twits would self implode with no real leader, that eventually the entire pureblood aristocracy would drown itself.

Hermione argued that all of that would eventually happen, but that she would be the cause of it.

“I’m going to Tuscany!” She yelled back at Draco, whose jaw was clenched.

“So, you are going to go to a getaway with a Death Eater who is out to kill you and use you on his rise to power. While I… what exactly?”

“All the kinks are not worked out, but we will get there… we have a few days.”

“What’s a kink?”

“Damnit, just watch a couple hours of muggle tele, please. I can’t explain every euphemism when there is a war going on.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Draco raised his hands in defense, “There is no war. There are a couple young kids whose fathers got killed or imprisoned. They are thugs, and they won’t do anything.” He raised his hands as if he were backing away from her.

“Are you mad? That’s how movements begin! A couple angry kids, who grow up hating an entire race. They raise more angry kids, and somewhere along the line a fucked up kid grows up to be Voldemort. We need to squash this.”

“I don’t agree, Granger. Honestly. I know these kids, they are Crabbe & Goyle. They hardly know which end of the wand the magic comes out of.” He softened while looking at he at her eagerness to be the hero again. “But ok, I’m yours. What do you want me to do?”

“Thank you.” She melted, and grabbed his hand at her breakfast counter. “I’m happy you are here. And... I’m looking forward to my date!”

“Ah, yes. The date. You know, I’m starting to feel a little bit of pressure. I don’t know I’ve been on a proper date. At Hogwarts a date constituted of a roll around by the lake.” He smirked and she pulled her hands back and shoved his shoulder.

“Ass.” She did not think he was as funny as he did.

“Grang-- I mean, Hermione. Would you please go on a date with me this evening?”

“ A Monday? What kind of date happens on a Monday?” Hermione’s face scrunched up.

“Well, when the lady involved in said date, is leaving on a romantic fuckfest with a rival Death Eater on Friday, it’s hard to exactly plan a weekend evening.” He rolled his eyes at her.

“Hah! Touche. Ok, tonight. Pick me up in the lobby of the ministry. I do need to get to work,” she said checking her wrist watch. She leaned in to kiss him goodbye on the cheek and grabbed her Ministry robes off the back of the chair.

“Granger!” She paused and looked back at him, “What’s a toochay?”

She laughed and shot him a wink as she stepped into the green flames of her floo. They could get used to this.

____

Draco sat staring at the morning scene in front of him. He couldn’t help the blissful smile that slowly spread across his face. The girl of his dreams just spent the night in his arms, made him breakfast, asked for his help and agreed to a date with him.

Ugh, a date. Not that he was opposed to a night where he could show off Granger, but he wasn’t quite sure how small or big to plan this date. Damn, the pressure was actually on. He needed to step up his game for tonight.

With a sad resignation, Draco realized that he wasn’t sure who Hermione wanted to know about their date. She hadn’t exactly said she wanted anyone to know. He wiped his mouth and stood up, grabbing his wand from the counter.

“Scourgify.” He muttered, waving his wand at the entire mess in the kitchen. He needed to pop over to the office and show face for a quick minute, then he would spend the rest of day planning the ‘Woo of Hermione Granger’.

Crookshanks rubbed his body against his shins and he grimaced at the touch. Damned cat. He leaned down and rubbed behind his ear. Draco walked to the bedroom and grabbed his cloak, draping it over his shoulders.

He realized he was a little casual to be walking into the office, but hell, Lucius Malfoy spent even less time as CEO of Malfoy Enterprises than he did as a father. Even if he just walked in the door, he was a step up. He stepped in and Floo’d to his office. There was an alert for his secretary, so she would know that he was there.

Draco walked over to his desk and grabbed the stack of papers in his inbox. He leaned back and started pouring over some income statements from Gringotts, a production report from their factory in Scotland, and a quick letter from a small broom company in London looking for financing.

After settling the issues at hand, he called Scarlet in. She was a little old woman with blonde hair that she secretly hoped hid the gray. She had a sweater in every pigment, of every color and wore a different one over the same bland dress every day.

She shuffled in and looked at her feet. Years of fearing his father had led her to treat Draco like he was a tyrant.

“Scarlet, I need your help…”

____

Draco could feel her approaching, and turned to greet her. He smiled brightly at her and drank the sight of her in.

“Don’t get me wrong, but you are entirely underdressed.” His mouth was in a flat line and his brow furrowed.

“Ass. I just got off work!” She feigned anger at him, “Why? What do we have planned? Surely, this can’t be too bad for dinner.” She opened her robes and stared at her sensible pencil skirt and blouse.

“I assure you, it is inappropriate. Did you forget you were going on a date with Draco Malfoy?” He puffed up his chest and fussed with the collar of his robes. “Maybe thought it was the Weasel taking you to the Leaky Cauldron?”

“I fear I may start to sound redundant, but I’ll take the risk... ASS!” She laughed, and the sound hit Draco’s ears like bells, he smiled back ignoring the insult.

“Here, change into this. We are leaving from here.” Draco handed her a charmed garment bag. “Just say--”

Hermione held her hand up quickly. “Do you think I honestly need to know that charm?”

“Right. Guess it's of no consequence to me. If you get it wrong.. You show up in your underwear.” He grinned wickedly.

Hermione disappeared into the bathrooms. Draco turned towards the Floo’s and ran over his plans for the evening.  
His fingers rubbed the stubble on his chin, and he wondered if maybe he should have shaved. He thought of a particularly happy memory when Hermione wiggled and giggled underneath him in Gryffindor tower as his stubble tickled her shoulders and neck.

“Ok, big shot. You better have an occasion that matches this dress.” She said plainly.

Draco turned and his breath left his lungs at the sight of her. She had fixed her hair into soft rolling waves, pinned off to the side so the hung over her shoulder. The emerald green silk dress hugged every inch of her frame.

“Interesting color choice, Malfoy.”

“I didn’t lie when I said you looked sexy as hell in Slytherin colors.” It took every ounce of strength to not ravage her here in the Ministry lobby. He summoned all that Malfoy grace, and held out his arm instead.

“Um, who are you? And what have you done with Draco Malfoy?” She hesitantly took his arm and let him lead her forward to the apparition point.

“Tonight, it is my business to make you feel like a lady. What’s your general opinion on the opera?” He said, his eyes somehow both clear and cloudy as they took in her face.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed the destination firmly in his mind. He leaned down to kiss her. There was no one left here in the Ministry, but he wouldn’t have cared if there were. When their lips touched he apparated them away, their bodies mingling in a cloud of magic.

_____

Hermione sat in rapture at the beautiful voices assaulting her senses. It wasn’t just sound, the harmonic voices gave her goosebumps, it made her eyes close. She swayed at the beautiful artistic tapestry before her eyes. The story was of a young man who hid behind his family's wishes and sought after a peasant girl. He stole her away and married her. The irony wasn’t lost on Hermione.

She swallowed a knot and wiped away tears as the young lovers ran away into happiness, abandoning their former lives.

The lights filled the theater and the audience rose to their feet, as did Hermione and Draco in their private suite.

“I never knew you had an appreciation for Muggle arts.” She spoke over the dull roar.

“I never have, but I now see the allure.” He leaned in and kissed her neck. “Hungry?”

“Starved, actually. I started to believe that you were filling me with wine and nothing else as a part of your own dastardly plan.” She smirked at him.

“Oh, I would never dare to resort to such tactics with the likes of you.” He winked.

Before the opera, they had enjoyed a scenic view of Sydney. He knew that she and her parents had always had a dream to see Australia. Steve and Jean Granger had gotten the opportunity, but Hermione held horrible associations with the continent. He meant to change that.

He kissed her deeply while they stared at the skyline of the city, and made her forget that this stupid continent ever held any sadness.

_________________

Their time in Australia ended to her incredible disappointment. He had a glint of surprise left in his gray eyes and leaned in for another kiss, she steeled herself to be side-along apparated.

When she opened her eyes, she was in the foyer of a grand entryway. There was marble everywhere, and everything was just a varying shade of white. Hermione had never seen so many colors that were all white.

She tensed breifly as she realized where she was. How could he bring her here? Malfoy Manor was the last place she wanted to spend their night.

Reading her disapproval, Draco wrapped his arms around her. “Are you ok? We can go… I… I wasn’t sure.” At his nervous admission, she resolved to be ok.

She leaned up to kiss him again and wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands tangled in his sugar soft white hair.

“I thought you were hungry?”

“Mmmm” Was that a word? No? Well, it would do.

“Master Malfoy! You has arrived back! Did you have a good time, sir?” A house elf was eagerly standing at their ankles grinning eagerly up at them, and Hermione couldn’t help but giggle, although she knew she should be furious.

“Hello Poppy.” Draco greeted flatly, not taking his eyes from Hermione. “Would you serve dinner, please?”

She tensed at the thought of him ordering around a house elf. Of course, she should have known. She looked down at the little being, and noticed that Poppy was wearing a child’s sundress.

“You’re...You’re wearing a dress?” She gaped, staring openly at the little elf.

“Yes m’aam, I is! Isn’t it most beautiful?!” She twirled and the yellow flowered dress spun around her. “Master Draco gave it to me m’aam. He gave it to me on my birthday! He is a good master, he is. He told me I could stay and work as long as I wanted. He has tried to give me money, but I won’t take it!” Poppy was grinning eagerly at Hermione, and she looked to Draco who was smiling knowingly. “I have been with my Master Draco since he was a little baby, I have never wanted to be away from him, Miss. I is happy to work for my family!” She gushed.

“And you wouldn’t lie for you master, would you Poppy?” Hermione questioned with a playful grin playing at the corner of her mouth.

“A house elf can not lie! We can deceive, but if we lie we must hurt ourselves horribly! Master Draco would NOT wish this!”

“When was your last birthday Poppy?” Hermione didn’t break eye contact with Draco, but he had an all knowing, smug type of look on his face.

“Poppy’s birthday is next week! You’re hungry Miss?”

Draco had done all of this after she had abandoned him.

Hermione smiled with closed lips as she stared at his face. “Yes, I am starving Miss Poppy. Thank you.”

Poppy snapped her fingers and vanished from the room. Draco slid an arm around her waist and led her from the formal entryway down a long hall. He opened the door, and she expected a grand dining table meant for two dozen Death Eaters.

She gasped as she entered the long room. There was a small round table in the center of the wood floor with two tall cushioned chairs on either side. Candles floated above their heads, bouquets of peonies, gardenias and roses filled every nook and cranny of the room.

He walked over to the table and pulled out a chair for her, which she took, with a grin on her face. He then took his seat across from her, and lifted a champagne flute towards her.

“To our future.” He said simply. She blushed and lifted her glass to meet his in a quiet, clink.

Their plates magically filled with a beautiful green salad, garnished with strawberries, blue cheese crumbles and walnuts. Her mouth watered at the sight, she really was starving. She daintily speared a bite and ate it.

“Ask me something unsavory.” Draco said quietly.

“Excuse me?” She all but choked.

“Yes, you seemed to have something unsavory on your mind the other night. Just ask me. I promise never to lie to you.” he stated simply.

Hermione chewed on her cheek for a minute, thinking of what she really wanted to know, but also not wanting to risk the good evening she was having.

“Granger, just ask.” He said dully.

“Are you jealous of Harry and Ron?” She blurted. His answer was a loud scoff and a roll of his eyes. “No lying!” She admonished.

“Fine.” he said through gritted teeth, “Yes.”

“Are you going to elaborate?”

“This was an infinitely stupid idea, and it’s my turn next.” he glowered darkly. “Potter is… a suicidal maniac, with a hero complex, and I’ve changed my mind and I’m not jealous of him at all.”

“Draco!” She laughed as she chastised him.

“Alright, Granger. Honestly, I can’t stand Potter because he has that damn complex that makes him feel like everything is his business. He needs to insert himself into every little thing and be the center of it. He always felt he was above the rules, but somehow I was always the bad guy for following them. Yes, I was a prick but so was he in many ways. Mostly though, I am jealous because he got to choose which side he fought on. I didn’t. I was bred and raised to follow the dark, and it shaped my entire life. I still deal with sideway glances and clearing of crowds when I walk down Diagon Alley. Potter is celebrated and I am outcast.”

“Oh, but Draco... you did choose. And you chose correctly in the end, you have never given yourself enough credit. You can’t help the circumstances of your birth, and you have risen above them so many times.” He blushed at her kind words, but didn’t touch on them.

“Weasley, I think should be obvious. When it was easy and convenient you chose him. When it was time for the world to see, you wanted to be seen with him. But even before then, you guys had a connection, he could have been your hero,” he sneered, “But more than that, you are so intimate with him. He knows everything about you, things I wouldn’t get to know in a 100 years because you all experienced them together. I don’t mean to be melancholy, I know that moving forward I’ll have parts of you that they won’t have access to, but if I’m being honest, yes I am jealous of those stupid, ugly faced tossers in some small ways.”

“Thank you for being honest, you have an amazing, complex, soul Draco Malfoy, and I’m so glad I get to see some it.” Her plate magically transformed to a giant piece of roasted chicken and carrots with wild rice. She didn’t take a breath, she dug right in. She almost forgot she was on a date and supposed to be behaving a lady of the manor.

“My turn.” He hadn’t started eating and when she looked up at him, her cheeks full of chicken, he was grinning wickedly. “Remember, no lying. What in the world could you possibly see in Weasley? I know it’s not his good looks or wealth,” he supplied with a roll of his eyes.

She sighed, she knew eventually they would have this conversation. “Like you said, Ron knows me and yes, it’s exactly how you described, easy and convenient. It wasn’t work, we didn’t fight. I mean, he constantly made me feel like a know it all and never took the time to hear me out on issues that interested me, but he was gentle and kind, he loves his family and me. He would never hurt me and he is desperately loyal. I thought, after everything, I deserved some normalcy.

I didn’t think you would be interested in continuing seeing me once Hogwarts ended, and once I heard you talking to Blaise,” He made to interrupt her but she continued talking, “I thought it was over. Ron was there, and he wanted it so badly. I just wanted to much to feel wanted and safe.” She breathed deeply, hating to revisit old wounds. “It didn’t last obviously. Those things aren’t enough to build a life and relationship on. I needed passion, and compatibility. I needed to be challenged. I needed...more. He was devastated, wouldn’t speak to me for weeks, and it was awkward for even months after that. His mother has never gotten over it, and drops hints at every holiday.” She laughed without humor.

“Does he still love you?” He asked, a touch of hurt sneaking into his voice.

“Yes.”

“Does he still want to be with you?” A harder edge taking place of the hurt.

“Yes.”

“And do you?” He spat.

“No. I have no romantic feelings for anyone other than you, at the present.” She thought that should be obvious, but with Draco it was often best to not leave anything up for interpretation.

It was quiet then for a few minutes. Hermione set down her napkin on her plate, and at that her plate vanished. She still found herself in awe of magic at times. She reached her hand over to Draco’s and squeezed it. He looked up at her, and she stood and moved into his lap, her arms draping around his neck, his wrapping cautiously around her waist.

She pulled him into a gentle kiss, letting the tension of their conversation melt away. She could feel it physically ease as his hands started exploring the tops of her thighs and the seam of her dress. What she started, he intensified. Kissing her with determination and love and leaving her breathless at the end of it.

“You know, I have something for you.” Hermione said, flushing. She wasn’t sure when she was going to give this to him, but thought after their conversation it was most appropriate now.

“A present?” His eyes light up at the thought. Spoiled prat. She giggled.

“Well, kind of.” Her fingers played with his cufflinks, a gift from long ago, and she avoided his eye contact. She stood and reached for her clutch in her seat, she opened it and pulled out a small vial with a whisper of magic swirling around. Do you have that pensieve hidden around here?” Draco was completely confused, and she was covered in a blush so deep it matched her Gryffindor school jumper.

______

_Draco saw Hermione’s memories and felt her emotions in the pensieve. He saw a young scared girl walking up to the Great Hall for the first time. Saw a younger version of himself thrusting his palm towards Potter. He wasn’t focused on that though in the memory, he felt her focusing on him. Felt her butterflies. Felt her blush as she stared at Draco’s face._

Granger fancied him?

What followed was a torrent of memories, all following Granger’s blushes, stolen glances and secret moments. Draco was confused by all the emotions flooding the memories.

He saw her hold her breath while he took a dive on quidditch field and again when he got attacked by Buckbeak.

He saw her looking longingly at Draco who was sneering at a table being doted upon by Pansy at the Yule Ball, before being whisked off into the arms of that bumbling idiot Krum.

He never saw himself call her mean names, never saw the tears he knew they brought to her cheeks.

Instead he saw her defend him to a confident Harry, who was convinced he had taken the mark. Saw Harry pull out a map and study it for Malfoy, only to have her hands close over the map and tell him to give it up.

Saw her relief when she found out that he hadn’t killed Dumbledore, and that he saved Hogwarts. Felt her pride.

He saw himself rub his scalp in a midnight study session, a genuine smile he reserved for only his happiest moments. Saw himself lean in and kiss her for the first time, felt her blush when she took in his bare chest and felt her extreme pleasure after they laid together for the first time in the room of requirement.

The last memory materialized in front of him was a sleeping Draco, she was curled up into his side in post coital bliss. It must have been days before the final battle. He was snoring slightly with his cheek resting on her curls.

She sighed and whispered the words she had never said to a boy before, at least not in a romantic way. She had never said them again either, not to anyone.

“I love you.”

______

When Draco came out of the pensieve he was gasping for air. He had never heard Hermione say those words to him. For more than a year, that was all he had ever wanted, was to know that it hadn’t been unrequited love. That despite his father being a bastard and his mother being cold, that he still had the possibility of her love.

He met her large brown almond eyes, and they were misty with emotion and vulnerability.

“I, uh, know that was probably quite a strange thing for me to do. I just wanted you to know… I didn’t see you as the villain. I knew there was more to you all along. I saw good in you, before you could even see it in yourself. “

“Granger, I… I had no idea. I feel like such an intolerable ass right now.”

“Well, you were and sometimes are an intolerable ass…” She smiled at him, “It was nothing, childish crush.” She waved off, “I just, I think you needed to see how much more you are. I know I hurt you this last year. I know it’s not an actual gift…”

“Thank you, for believing in me.”

She paused, bringing a soft palm up to his cheekbone. “I love you,” she whispered gently, she had never said it to him aside from that one night while he slept.

He brought her in close and kissed her, paying attention to each inch of her mouth. Letting his hands run from her waist and then tangle in her soft curls.

He could spend long and lazy hours kissing Hermione Granger. She had an innocence to her kisses, even after all of the ones they had shared. He backed her away from the pensieve and towards the desk in the study. His father would be turning his grave if he knew he had a Muggleborn witch propositioned on the family heirloom, and Draco let himself enjoy a wry smile at the thought.

Her hands wound up to the tie he had already loosened after dinner and undid it the rest of the way, letting the silk dance between her fingers before letting it fall to the ground. Her fingers swiftly undid each of the buttons on his collared shirt, and he gasped when he felt his undershirt lift slightly and her freezing hands touch his skin. She pushed the first shirt to the ground, and then made to lift his undershirt over his head.

He paused and pulled back. “Seeing as this is a proper date, maybe I should escort the lady to a bedroom?” He was anxious and didn’t want to spend another second without touching her, but he wanted to do this right.

“Hmmm” She mused quietly, kissing him again. “I’ve been a lady all day, what’s the harm in taking a little break.”

“You are a wicked witch, Granger,” his hands slid up to the hidden zipper and his long fingers tugged it free, revealing her back slowly. Her breath hitched whenever his cool digits made contact with her skin. Her chest filling slowly, giving him a beautiful view of her dainty breasts.

She stood so the dress could fall to her ankles, and Draco could have died at the sight before him. She was wearing a satin and lace strapless ruby bra with matching knickers. The knickers were cautiously sexy without being smutty.

“I know you like green, but I hope you don’t mind the red.” She blushed and he let out a low growl as he deftly picked her up by her bum and placed her on the table, spreading her legs and he settled himself between them.

His mouth launched an assault on her neck and shoulders while his hands palmed her breasts. She still wore her pumps from work, and the heels started to dig into the back of Draco’s thighs. This spurred his lust and tightened the steel in his groan.

Her dainty hands made quick work of his zipper on his trousers and they met her dress on the floor. He was still wearing his shoes and didn’t want to break to undo them, so he soldiered on with his pants around his ankles.

Draco pushed her bum to the edge of the table, where he could quickly pull down her knickers and she simultaneously drew down his underwear as well. They were moments from touching their heats together, when Hermione stood quickly. It startled him, and he stumbled backwards into his father’s chair.

Hermione didn’t waste a moment, she climbed on top of his lap and he couldn’t believe his luck. His fingers did away with the clasp of her bra, as she positioned herself just over his shaft. He took an attentive nipple into his mouth and lightly pinched the other, before switching his attentions. He couldn’t stand if this took much longer, the anticipation was maddening. He could barely feel her warmth and wetness just teasing his tip, and it took all of his strength to not buck up into her.

With a quick movement, she sat and engulfed him fully. She gasped at the fullness and Draco sucked the air through his teeth. She would unravel him within minutes if he didn’t keep his wits about him.

She began a slow and maddening rhythm. He gave up on his bombardment of her breasts and let his head fall back. He could feel a tightening in his groin and swore to Salazar himself to let him last long enough.

Her soft mewling and whimpers as she pleasured herself on his lap were enough to send even the steeliest of wizards into a puddle at her feet. He grabbed ahold of her hips and started helping her with a pace that he knew she would appreciate. Dragging her both deeper and faster. Her hands found themselves on his shoulders and were arms were unknowingly pressing her breasts together. Draco dipped his head into her cleavage and let her perky breasts surround his senses.

He could feel her tightening and quickening around him and if he could keep it up for a few more… and with that she let off on top of him, moaning out and praising Draco in a way that would be blasphemous if she believed in God.

As soon as she started to come down from her euphoria, Draco stood and set her on the table, clearing the debris that littered what would be now his favorite piece of furniture in the entire manor.

She laid back and he was able to set a hard pace that had her again at the precipice of ecstasy. His hands didn’t wander from her waist to keep her firmly in place, and once he felt the familiar purr of a release from her, he let himself succumb as well.

He collapsed on top of her, panting and lightly misted with perspiration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gulp. I am worried about this chapter. Smut and Hermione's secret crush? Too OOC? I swear I just called my sister to see if I should just delete it all. 
> 
> Let me know what you're thinking... gulp again.


	7. SEVEN

Hermione awoke to find herself in a bed so large she couldn’t find the edge. It took several rolls to finally find it. She found a folded silk green robe on the nightstand. She wrapped it around her naked form and made her way into the en suite attached to Draco’s bedroom. 

As she walked in, the bathroom dimly lit. She relieved herself and after washing her hands, splashed water on her face. Life had changed drastically in the last 72 hours. She had all but forgotten what this felt like, complete happiness that is. The last year had been a shell, but this was her future. 

She looked at the grand bathroom, with all its marble and gold, she wondered if Draco had remodeled since he took ownership. The manor didn’t hold the same oppressive feel as the last time she was here. She shivered at the memory and rubbed at her forearms. 

She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to be the Lady of the Manor. Throwing parties and serving tea to a group of dimwitted idiots. She blanched at the thought of having kids with Draco and realized she had not taken her contraceptive potion. They were securely tucked away in her nightstand. 

She tiptoed out to the bedroom and found her wand in her clutch. She waved it over her lower stomach and whispered “Contraceptus.” She heard a low chortle from the darkness of the bed. “Don’t you laugh at me Draco Malfoy, someone has got to be responsible!” 

She slid back into bed, on his side this time so she wouldn’t have to traverse a half a kilometer to find him. He tucked her in his arms and breathed deeply in her hair. 

“I’ll have a hundred babies by you, Granger. If you’ll let me.” 

“Draco! We’ve been together for about 2 days! Our families, our friends, they don’t know anything. And your conspiring to knock me up.” 

“Knock you up?” She rolled her eyes. 

“Anyway, something is missing from my left hand if you want any little Malfoy’s running around, and I know you aren’t ready for all of that.”

“Are you now?” She looked up and his eyes were a steely gray, his face serious.

“You’re not serious!” She wasn’t sure how she felt about marriage. She was 20 years old for crying out loud, but then again they had all grown up a long, long time ago. 

“Alright, Granger.” He was appeasing her. “But at least tell me this… do I have to wait long to ask?”   
She thought for a moment, before biting her lip and following her gut, Gryffindor courage welling up in her chest she finally said, “No.”

__________

Hermione woke again as her wand rattled and chimed that she should be getting up for work. She stretched and grabbed it, shaking away the alarm. She dressed quickly, putting on her work clothes from yesterday that were in her charmed bag. She did not want to wake Draco until she had to. 

When she was ready, she leaned to kiss him. He hummed and kissed her back trying to deepen the kiss, and she let out a giggle as she pulled away. “I’ll be late to work! I need to go!” He tried to pull her back into bed, but she stayed resilient. 

“Can I see you tonight?” He asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes. He looked incredibly boyish just out of sleep. 

“Actually, no. I have plans with the boys. We are meeting at the Leaky Cauldron for drinks. Don’t give me that look -- I need to tell them about Theo anyway.” 

“That’ll keep you from your bed, then?” 

“You are insatiable!” She laughed cheerfully, “No, I will be returning to my bed tonight. After all, I’ve hardly slept the past two nights! Not all of us have the luxury of being CEO.”

“Would you like a job? You could have mine. You’d be brilliant.” He dazzled her with a smile and she rewarded him with a quick kiss, lest he try to lure her back into bed. She still needed to get home, change and shower. 

She walked over to the floo and stepped in, leaving him with another wink before being swallowed up by the flames. 

_______

The day passed slowly. She sat at her desk, pouring over some documents about some illegal hoarding of baby Abraxans, when two hands entered her view obscuring her work. She peered up to find Theo smiling down at her. 

“Hermione.” He had all the charm of a sleeping snake, and she winced at the casual greeting. It wasn’t unnoticed. “Everything alright, love?”

She slapped on her happy face, “Yes, of course. I’m just exhausted.” She yawned. 

“Have a good date with Malfoy?” He hid the contempt well, but she knew it was there. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize you…” 

“Knew about it? Well yes, I figured as much. You did say you were going to go after all, and when I tried about three times to floo call you last night and no answer, I assumed the worst. I admit, I hoped for the best today, but apparently not.” 

“Listen…”

“It’s OK, Hermione. Honestly, you are right. We were never exclusive. I am hoping we can change that this weekend tho, yes? Tuscany?” He did a strange dancey thing with his hands, and she hated him for it. His face was nice enough, but he was ridiculous. 

“Tuscany will be a welcome retreat. I’ll meet you Saturday morning, at my place then.” 

“Can I see you before then?” He asked hopefully, damn if he wasn’t amazing at playing the ever doting boyfriend. 

“I’m afraid no, I’ve got this awful case on my hands. But this weekend will be lovely”, she stood and leaned over her desk, kissing him briefly on the cheek.

She tensed. She could feel him watching, what was he doing here? She turned over her shoulder to see Draco strolling through the department with Kingsley Shacklebolt. His right eyebrow was so high up on his forehead, it might have drifted off into space, his jaw clenched so tight he could crack a tooth. 

She winced but quickly returned her attentions to Theo. “I hope you’ll find something to keep yourself busy in my absence?”

“Alright, how about lunch? Later this week, when this has all settled?” He motioned towards her desk. 

“Sounds brilliant.” She smiled back at him and he turned away. 

Her gaze returned to the Minister and Draco. Kingsley was showing him around and Draco was introducing him to different Department Heads. 

Damn her curiosity. She grabbed a few rolls of Parchment she was meaning to send over to Minister this afternoon. They were a perfect excuse. 

“My dear, Hermione!” Kingsley was wrapped around her pinky finger and everyone knew it. Teacher’s pet had its perks. 

“Hello, Minister! Malfoy.” She nodded. He returned her nod with a wink and raised his eyebrows at her. She felt a blush start to spread across her cheekbones. 

“What are the pair of you up today?” She inquired, probably being a bit nosy. 

“Well, I have wonderful news for you, Hermione! Mr. Malfoy here has been working with me over the last year to rebuild what was broken after the war. He has generously funded numerous restorative projects, including the new cobblestone and store fronts in Diagon Alley and the repairs to Hogwarts.”

Hermione raised an eyebrow at this, she had no idea. Draco didn’t wear that smug look many would have assumed he would be donning. He was just staring intently at her.

“He has come by today to offer his funds to yet another project, and I think you’ll be pleased!” Kingsley beamed at Malfoy, offering him the chance to break the news. Malfoy just nodded his ascent to the Minister. “Mr. Malfoy is going to be funding your sub committee for House Elf Rights! The one you have been badgering me and your department head about.” 

Hermione’s jaw was hanging open. “You’re...what?” 

“Malfoy Enterprises is at your disposal, Miss Granger. Together, I think we could really make a difference in the lives of House Elves all over Britain. I’d like to set up a meeting at your convenience to go over the current regulations and what we can do to help.”

“Excellent news, yes? Miss Granger?” Kingsley led her. 

“Absolutely. Thank you so much, Malfoy. I had no idea you were such a philanthropist.” She smiled sweetly. “I am free now, if you are.” 

“Free as can be,” he offered. She handed the parchment over to Kingsley and then lead Draco to a conference room. 

Once the door was securely shut behind them, Draco came up behind her and hugged her to his chest. She giggled as he nuzzled her neck. 

“Draco Malfoy! I know you did not just offer up a small fortune for House Elves just to come and neck me.” 

“You don’t know me at all, Granger. I would gladly offer up an entire Gringott’s account just to neck you for a minute.” 

___________

The afternoon pressed on and Hermione continued to pour over her work. When it was finally time to leave for the day, she made her way to the Floo in the lobby and was transported to Diagon Alley. 

Across the street was the Leaky Cauldron, she could see Ron and Harry inside with a mess of people around them. She sighed, and hoped they would find some privacy tonight. 

She ordered a white wine and tried to pay, she was met with “no member of the Golden Trio pays in my establishment!” and she smiled and accepted her drink. She cut through a crowd of buzzed patrons and found that blissfully, the boys were alone again. 

“Hullo!” She greeted cheerfully. Ron grimaced and gave her the impression this would not be a happy evening and Harry’s head was hanging over his shot gloss. He sighed, and it magically filled again. He downed it, before looking up. 

“Hi” he said in a tone so sad, you’d forget he had been orphaned by a maniac who had tried to kill him as a baby. 

“Ok… What’s going on?” she asked warily. 

“Well… “ Ron started, only to be quickly cut off by Harry. 

“It’s Ginny. She’s run off with a Harpy.” He hiccuped, clearly drunk. 

“LIKE a harpy.” Hermione corrected, although she didn’t know what he was talking about. 

“Nope. Hiccup. WITH a Harpy. With her Goddamn teammate, Mione. A Holyhead Harpy.” He slurred his words. 

Ron was so tense and uncomfortable she thought he might split the table with his stare. 

“Wait… WHAT?” she choked on her drink. 

“She has, as it seems hiccup, taken up, hiccup, with the company of women.” He swayed slightly and rested his palm on his chin. 

It seems tonight would not be the night to discuss Theo, she sighed and made a point to reschedule. 

Ron stood then, “Right, I’mma have a piss and grab a beer. You want anything?” Clearly only speaking to Hermione, as Harry’s glass filled magically. 

“Um, yes. Better go ahead and grab another then. Thanks Ron.” She put her arm around Harry’s shoulder as Ron backed towards the bathroom. 

Harry was wiping away a few traitorous tears with the back of his hand. “I was’m bout to propose, I was. Bitch.” The words all jumbled. 

Quickly, Harry grabbed the side of Hermione’s face and smashed his lips against hers. She almost gagged at the overwhelming odor of firewhiskey emanating from his person. His lips assaulted hers in a clumsy fashion, which she hoped was the result of the drink and not his lack of abilities. 

She didn’t quite shove him off tho, she didn’t want to hurt him. When she finally pulled back, he looked sad. 

“Sorry.” 

“It’s ok, Harry. It’s nothing. I know you’re upset,” she offered, trying to make him feel better, silencing him with a wave of her hand. 

“No, I’m sorry.” He motioned towards the table of reporters whose quills were moving quickly and their cameras snapping away at every moment. “I know, hiccup, I shouldnt’ve… but it’ll really drive Ginny nuts, eh? Hiccup.” 

Hermione bit her tongue so hard she could taste the iron fill her mouth. Damnit! Another scandal on Witch Weekly and … Draco. Oh crap, Draco. She needed to see him now, to explain, before he saw it all over the front of the Daily Prophet. She grabbed her glass of wine and downed it one drink. Grabbing her items she looked at the door, only to see a familiar head of blonde hair duck out quickly. Bollocks.

Ron returned then with the drinks. “What’s the matter?” His face crumpled in confusion at the sight of Hermione tight lipped and pissed off. 

“Take care of your friend, Ron. Thanks for the drink.” She finished off most of it standing at the table, took a long glance at Harry who looked utterly pathetic, before hugging Ron and stepping out into the rain. 

______

As she stepped out into the rain, she cast a charm with her wand that repelled the rain. She looked to her left, and saw a tall, dark figure, walking steadily away from her.

She apparated to right before his steps, taking him by surprise. 

“Malfoy, you know you don’t believe what you just saw.”

“Stop, fucking calling me that!” He crushed her aside the alley and didn’t give her an inch to breathe. 

“Oh, stop! You big, bad, Slytherin. Let me go. I’m not buying it. You know I didn’t kiss him. You know that’s all bollocks.”

“Bullshit. You parade Potter, Knott & Weasley around like a prize, and you won’t even hardly give me a date.”

“I gave you a date!” She declared with urgency.

“Yea, in Australia and at my house.” he spat at her.

“You made that decision.” Her voice incredulous, was he seriously blaming her for the date he planned? 

“Because I know you don’t want to be seen with me!”

“Well, Draco Malfoy.” She said determinedly, “You have just made your own bed.” She leaned in to kiss him, and with it, apparated him to the center of Diagon Alley.

They stood in the middle of a cobble lined street with but just a few friendly faces leaving the well known bars. She kissed him deeply, fully, and without reserve in the middle of the street. She could begin to hear the clicks and hum of magical camera’s filling the air around him. 

_____

Draco was completely surprised. He stood to lose nothing but gain everything. She was going to be seen kissing him, a son of a death eater, in plain view. Selfishly, he kissed her back. Wrapping his hands in her toffee colored curls and losing himself in her eagerness. She had a faint taste of white wine on her tongue and kissed with no inhibitions. 

When the kissing naturally slowed, he pulled away to look at her. She was smiling quietly, with a knowing sort of look on her face. 

“It’s time for bed.” She said simply. 

“Is that an invitation?” He smirked, thinking he was in for a good night.

“No.” She stepped back, smiled and was gone. 

Damn her. He rubbed his chin, smiling to himself. He was still rather pissed that she had also just recently been kissing Potter, but she had definitely made up for it. He glanced over his shoulder to see the that ugly faced ginger peering through the glass of the Leaky Cauldron at him, his face drained of color and mouth slack jawed. 

Draco gave him an arrogant smirk and threw him a wink. He apparated on the spot. 

\------

The next morning over his tea and breakfast his Eagle Owl delivered his mail and the Daily Prophet onto his table. Arrakis, was a giant breasted bird with a stern glare. If his father had a spirit animal, it was this bird. He tossed the bird a small treat and he took off again. 

Draco reached for the prophet and his mouth dropped, he let out a laugh as he took in the front page. Hermione was in not one, not two, but THREE magical pictures with three different Wizards. “THE MANY SUITORS OF HERMIONE GRANGER” the paper basically screamed at him. She was going to be furious to be sure. 

The first was a picture of her and Theo, it must have been an old picture because it wasn’t the outfit she was wearing yesterday. They were having tea at a cafe in Diagon Alley and Hermione was smiling down at her cup as Theo undoubtedly was drawling on about himself. Git. 

The second had Hermione comforting Harry who looked distraught, only to have him attack her with his mouth. In fairness she looked stiff and uncomfortable before she finally broke away. 

The last, and by far Draco’s favorite, had them in a wild embrace in Diagon Alley. Her hands clutching at his arms and finally resting on his chest. 

He looked down to the article:

“By Rita Skeeter

It seems that the ever interesting love life of our beloved war herione and Gryffindor good girl, Hermione Granger, has taken on another unexpected turn. Miss Granger has been said to be dating respectable Slytherin and Deputy in Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry, Theodore Nott. 

Last night however, she was seen sporting kissed lips by not only long time rumored lover, Harry Potter but also the Slytherin bad boy himself, Draco Malfoy.”

Draco couldn’t help but laugh at his assessment. The article continued on, speculating on the whirling romances of each wizard with his witch. He felt most of the anger towards Graner kissing Potter dissipate as he reminded himself that she hated all this. 

Maybe he would help the Prophet along in their quest to find who Hermione’s one and only wizard was. 

\-----

Draco assumed correctly that there would be press in the lobby of the Ministry. He wondered if they were there everyday, or only when gossip trash erupted. He had been standing there looking like a complete idiot for no less than 15 minutes when he spotted her exiting the Floo. 

Her robes were a charcoal gray, but they were open and flowing behind her. Her dress was a slim and well fitted that clung to her form stopping just above her knees, and it was a deep shade of ruby. She was trying her best to avoid looking at the reporters standing behind him at the fountain, but finally she dared a glance their direction. She stopped upon seeing him, in utter confusion. She warily took a few steps forward and he laughed. 

“You know, I don’t bite. At least not in public.” He mused. 

“What do I owe the pleasure, Malfoy?” She was glancing over his shoulder at the cameras whizzing in a frenzy. 

“Just your friendly, neighborhood Slytherin bad boy dropping in on his newest conquest.” He pulled his arm out from behind him and presented a single rose to her. She took it with a blush and it magically sprouted to a bouquet of two dozen roses. 

“Draco!” She was breathless at the gesture and the beauty of the magic. “How on earth did you ever learn a charm like that?”

He leaned in and covered her mouth in a sweet kiss, and the flowers pressed between them. The cameras were working hard now and they were practically burning as they took in the scene. She tensed at first, but she didn’t stand a chance and was soon melting. 

He smiled as she started humming and pulled away from the embrace. “I hope you have an exceptional day, love.” She pursed her lips at him. 

“Well you’ve just put my name in another paper, so I should be furious at you staking your claim… but I have just been put in a rather good mood, so I will have to forgive you this time. Can I see you tonight?”

Well now, Draco certainly should try this romance stuff more often. 

“Absolutely. Dinner? I’ll pick you up here.” 

“Ok. Let’s go somewhere.” She smiled at him and Draco let a true to form, genuine smile stretch across his face. She had to know this meant a lot to him, that she would want to be seen in public with him. 

“Your wish is my desire, darling.” He leaned in for another quick kiss, and when he pulled away he was disappointed to see none other than Nott standing next to them. 

“Well, this isn’t exactly how I like to start my Tuesday. Hi Hermione.” He smiled. 

She visibly tensed, but Theo probably thought it was due to awkwardness. Draco knew it was because she knew his ulterior motives. 

“Theo, nice to see you. Pardon me, gentlemen, I must get to work.” She smiled and went to take a step. 

“Lucky for me then, I’m going to the same place.” He smiled at Draco and placed a hand at Hermione’s lower back. Draco ground his teeth together so hard they were probably flat as they walked towards the elevator. Hermione turned over her shoulder and gave him a smile and smelled her flowers. 

His romantic spotlight had been thwarted by that slimy bastard. Tonight was another chance. 

_____

Hermione tried her best to keep her face calm and happy while locked in the elevator with Theo. She felt panicky in his presence and the air was static with tension. 

“I saw your feature in the Prophet,” he murmured shyly. He really was quite the actor. 

“Yes, Harry was just trying to get back at Ginny. They broke up. And you know about me dating Draco as well.” 

“Right. How long are you going to be tagging us both along then?” Hermione blushed. Not for long. 

“Let’s not make this awkward, Theo. You are more than welcome to date other witches if you’d like.” 

“Well I don’t like. I’d like to be exclusive, can you commit to that?” 

“No.” She stated simply, as the elevator arrived. “But I’ll let you know. Thursday for lunch?”

“It’s a date.” A flash of annoyance in his eyes. 

Hermione’s day passed horribly slowly. She had put the roses on her desk and was lured into romantic thoughts of Draco by their fragrance. 

As they day closed in, she glanced up to see most of the office was empty. She tidied up her desk and made her way towards the lobby. 

She couldn’t help but smile to herself. She was helplessly in love with Draco Malfoy. He was horribly complicated and could be so dark and angsty. Integrating their lives would be a challenge for the rest of their lives. But he was secretly sweet and he reserved his tender side just for her, and it made it all that more special to her. 

Hermione found that she hated that they had wasted the last year being apart from each other. She didn’t really want to wait all that long to progress their relationship, which seemed crazy to her. Hermione didn’t make fast moves, she made well thought out, logical ones. 

She imagined herself again living in the manor, and it made her face scrunch up. She knew Draco wouldn’t be that fond of moving, but the manor was enormous and awful, and she didn’t know if she could ever really feel at home. 

Hermione made a detour to the bathroom, where she touched up her makeup and took her hair down so it hung around her shoulders. Her dress was sensible but dressy enough for dinner. 

When she finally rounded the corner to the lobby, her mouth fell hard. This night was about to get much more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess that this chapter holds the Reader Request?? 
> 
> Blah, Harry and your damned unwanted kisses. The request was simply "Harry kisses Hermione." I couldn't have him be an actual contender for Hermione's heart! 
> 
> So this is where we ended. Sickle for you thoughts? Okay fine... a Galleon!!


	8. EIGHT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas Flashback!

Draco stood confidently, with his arms crossed across his chest. To his left, were Ron and Harry. They were both standing in a similar posture, but where Draco emanated self assurance, the boys were seething with anger.

Shit. The wine had caused her to make some rash decisions last night, decisions she had hoped to explain to her friends before they saw it in the Prophet.

She expanded her chest and tried to syphon a llittle of Draco’s confidence from across the room.

“Well, hello everyone.” She said with her chin in the air.

“Uh, yea... Mione, we need to talk. You aren’t planning on going out with any slimy lechers this evening are you?”

“Ronald! Don’t talk about Draco that way!” she chastised while Draco scoffed.

“Are you barking, Hermione? We aren’t letting you date this asshole. That should be obvious.” It was Harry’s turn to speak now, and she frowned when she saw the wear on his face. Day 1 of his breakup wasn’t going over well.

“I am going to dinner with, Draco. And yes, we are dating. I am sorry I didn’t tell you guys myself, but now you know.”

“Mione, you were dating Theodore Nott not but 4 days ago. What in the bloody hell!” Ronald was raising his voice, and the last stragglers in the Ministry were stopping to watch now.

“I can date whomever I like, Ronald Weasley. I wasn’t and am not exclusive with Theo. Which, I was going to tell you about this last night before someone decided to use me a pawn to get back at his ex…” She paused to glare at Harry who stared at his feet. “Theo is conspiring with some revivalist death eaters. He is using me to get back in the good graces of the public, but plans to assassinate me once his means are achieved.” Both the boys were horribly confused and Draco was slightly shaking with laughter.

“I always knew you were the best looking one of the Suicide Squad, Granger, but damn if these boys don’t make easy on you. I swear the Ginger gets uglier by the second.”

“You disgusting ferret faced --”

“Enough! We are off to dinner. Let’s talk tomorrow guys, we have a lot of planning and sorting to do.” She waved them off.

“Hermione!” Ron grabbed her by the top of her arms, he was red in the face with anger. “I swear, if he’s Imperio’d you! I’ll kill him!” Draco had his wand out and pointed at Ron’s face in an instant.

“Please you twit, give me a reason to hex you into next week. Take your hands off her. Now.” Hermione wasn’t afraid of Ron, but she was quite angry that he felt he had the right to have his hands on her in any capacity.

Harry moved to put his hands on Ron’s shoulder. “Alright, mate. People are watching.”

“I would NEVER hurt Hermione, you tosser. She knows that.” Speaking only to Draco.

“I do, but I swear if you don’t unhand me this instant, I will let Draco pull out a specifically creative hex just for you.” Ron seemed to come back to reason and let his hands fall away.

“Tomorrow, Hermione. We are talking about this.” He turned angrily and apparated out.

“Mione, I’m so sorry. About Ron and … last night.” He looked sheepishly at Draco, who was glaring holes into his head.

“It’s ok Harry, honestly. You weren’t in the right frame of mind. Let’s talk tomorrow.” She rubbed her palm on his upper arm and gave it a light squeeze.

She turned to Draco, who had done pretty well staying somewhat silent during Ron’s outburst. He put his arm around her waist and took a few steps, before apparating them to a cozy street in Wizarding London.

“Ugh, that wasn’t how I wanted that to go down. I am so sorry. Thank you, for keeping your cool.” She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

“Let’s forget about Potty and Weasel for tonight.” He reached up brushing a wayward curl from her forehead. She laughed and playfully swatted him.

“You are incorrigible!” She took his arm, and he lead to her a beautiful restaurant just a few fronts down. The Maitre’d took their robes and lead them to a small romantic table just in front of the window.

The room was draped in rich fabrics and had floating orbs right above their heads. The waiter brought over a bottle of incredibly expensive champagne and the bubbles tickled her nose. Her stomach growled as another waiter passed the table with some downright tempting food.

The menu was simple with only a handful of options. She settled on the salmon and Draco ordered the filet. They sipped champagne and talked about their days before Hermione changed the subject to darker themes.

“I am going to charm a couple of objects so I can easily communicate with you and the boys this weekend while in Tuscany. I’ll use the Protean charm and they will heat up if I am in danger or if I need you.” She said this all nonchalantly, but she couldn’t help but giggle at the look on Draco’s face.

“Listen, I don’t like this. It’s all too dangerous. Besides, what if he thinks it’s time to take things to the next level? Physically that is.”

“Oh, Theo’s harmless. At least for now. He couldn’t very well assualt me and then use me to get his name back, could he? I can handle him.” She gave him a smile and reached over to squeeze his hand. “I promise.”

She noticed all the stares from the surrounding patrons, but she was trying her best to ignore them. It would be this way for awhile, she surmised. Eventually, it would be old news.

Their food arrived and Hermione dug in, humming to herself and helping herself to some more champagne.

“Shit. Fuck.” He spoke through his teeth. She looked up from her plate and saw that he was frozen and looking just past her shoulder. “Hermione. I am so, so sorry.”

“Well, well, well. Guess they let just about anyone in here these days!” A soft, feminine voice speaking. “Come now, Draco. Don’t be rude. Greet your old friend properly!” Pansy. Fucking. Parkinson.

Her blonde hair was curled perfectly and she was wearing a black dress that turned more heads than Hermione and Draco walking into this restaurant had. She practically purred his name, and Hermione wanted to spit acid.

“Hi Pansy, you know I hate to be rude, but...”

“I know no such thing!” She giggled, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek. Hermione didn’t miss that she also offered him a generous view of her impressive cleavage. Hermione started wringing her hands, her sensible dress suddenly felt rather suffocating. “Darling, we need to catch up. It’s been weeks since I saw you last, and I swear you had to leave so early in the morning we barely got a chance to catch up!”

Hermione gracefully choked on her Champagne and started banging on her chest like a gorilla to clear it.

“WHAT?!” She all but shrieked. Draco looked like he was about to ring Pansy’s neck.

“Oh, oops! Cats out of the bag!” Pansy put a hand on the edge of the table and leaned in towards Hermione who was fighting back tears and screams. “You know our boy here, insatiable as he is. I swear that night left me more than exhausted, although you know I’m always up for another trist, dear.” Her vision started to get a little fuzzy and she just wanted to keep it together in front of this abominable woman. Then she could lose it when she got home. She hated feeling jealous, it didn’t do well with her.

“Pansy, get the fuck out of here.” He spat at her “I swear, I never want to see your ugly face again.”

“Oh stop, we both know that’s not true. You’ll be finished slumming it with this one soon enough and we can pick up where we left off. This filthy mudblood won’t be tainting our pureblood lines anytime soon.” She rolled her eyes at him.

Draco stood and was visibly shaking. “You disgust me, Pansy. I would never have been with you if I wasn’t horribly heartbroken after thinking I had lost the love of my life, Hermione. It is a mistake I won’t make again, no matter what comes for me in the future. You are the lowest excuse for a woman, and to top it off, your shite in the sack.” He sneered, Pansy gasped mockingly and turned on her heel to walk towards the far side of the restaurant.

Hermione’s gaze followed her and noticed a guard standing at the door, opening it to allow her entry. She turned back to Draco, not able to hide the tears coming down her cheeks.

“You know, I think I’ve lost my appetite. I think I need to leave…” Trying to wipe the tears away non discreetly away from any lingering stares.

“Hermione,” Draco all but choked. “I am sorry I didn’t tell you who it was. I was so drunk, you know I don’t have any feelings for that nasty bint.

“It’s fine. I just… I need to go.” She stood quickly and motioned to the maitre’d for her robes.

“Please let me stay with you tonight, I won’t try anything. I swear it, I just want to be with you.” He was pleading and a sob broke through her chest.

“Why? Why her?”

“Love, she’s nothing. She’s less than nothing. She just was an easy escape. Please.”

“I need to go.” Hermione stood and made her way to the entrance, leaving Draco at the table with his face in his hands. It broke her heart to do it, but she couldn’t cause a scene.

She walked outside for some fresh air, and breathed deeply. She would gather her thoughts and then maybe talk with Draco when he exited.

People never quite understood her hatred for Pansy Parkinson, but then, all through school no one knew she harbored a secret crush on the Prince of Slytherin himself. Honestly, it hadn’t meant anything back then. She thought his face was rather nice to look at, and thought he looked absolutely dashing riding a broom. She never had any intent to actually date him, but she hated that Pansy could so easily.

Pansy was everything Hermione wasn’t. She was drop dead beautiful, had a pureblooded family she could trace back hundreds of years. She was wealthy and a Slytherin and had life so easy. She didn’t have to bust her butt in school, because she didn’t have anything to prove. Everyone already knew she belonged.

She knew she had made that disgusting attempt to embarrass Hermione because she had seen the Prophet, and she had succeeded. She also knew that Pansy’s ultimate goal would be to break them apart, and she had no intent on letting that happen. She would forgive Draco, the same way he forgave her for dating Ron.

The front door of the restaurant opened at Draco walked out into the rain.

“Draco.” She called in a whisper, and saw him sigh with relief. His eyes scanned the dark for her, and found her leaning against the wall. He wrapped her in his arms and she melted against him. He kissed her feverently and whispered how sorry he was.

“It’s not your fault, I’m sorry too. I’m sorry to leave you in there. I just couldn’t.”

“Shhh!” he hissed suddenly, his head turning to the side towards an alley. He raised his wand and cast a disillusionment and silencing charm and pushed her against the wall.

“What is it?” She asked quickly, sensing his alarm.

“I have a small Sneakoscope in my pocket, it’s vibrating. Someone is coming.” She could feel it now, pressed against her leg. The vibration was getting more and more frantic as someone was approaching.

From an alley about 20 yards away, 3 or 4 young men exited and made their way to the entrance. Hermione noticed Marcus Flint, Cassius Warrington, a man who was certainly a little older than the rest, maybe early 30’s and finally, Theo. They didn’t notice the pair and made their way into the restaurant where they were quickly escorted to the room where Pansy had been led not but 5 minutes ago.

“Looks like the revivalists are meeting. Tonight.”

 

________

_Granger was doing that thing again. In all of these study sessions, Draco had taken time to study his tutor as well. When she was embarrassed or flustered, she got haughty. Her cheeks got a little flushed and she stuck up her nose in the air. He hated it. So superior._

_When she was frustrated that Draco wasn’t understanding a topic, she started gesturing wildly with her hands and talking rather quickly. Sometimes, he would pretend to be a little dense just to get her all riled up for a minute or two. Before smirking and giving a sarcastic “OOOOOOH.”_

_But right now she was focused. She had her leg twisted up under the other one. She was chewing on her bottom lip and tickling her cheek with the end of her quill. Her messy curls were piled up on top of her head and she was entranced by the passage in her book._

_Draco couldn’t help but stare at her. Logically, he knew that if she looked up, he’d be toast. But he couldn’t stop. It had been a few weeks since he had given up on the idea that Granger was an ugly, Mudblood. Draco was many things, but he wasn’t stupid. She was a talented and powerful witch. She certainly wasn’t ugly._

_She didn’t have the obvious type of beauty that Pansy flaunted. She was subtle. She had a smattering of freckles that danced across her cheeks and nose, and if you looked close enough her eyes were a specific shade of amber that seemed to melt when she found something she was passionate about. Her hair was like… coffee or cocoa. She had learned how to handle it since she first started at Hogwarts. Her curls more defined than bushy, but still full around her face._

_He found he liked it pulled up, he could see her neck and a few wayward curls always found themselves escaping from the pack and framing her face._

_Her toffee eyes flicked up and locked on his. “What?” She asked innocently, no idea of the affect she was having on him._

_“Nothing.” Looking down again._

_After only a few minutes, he was staring at her again. She laughed then, still looking down at her book. “I can feel you looking at me.”_

_“Sorry, just… it’s nothing. I’m starved, Granger.” Yes, change of subject would be best._

_“Actually, I am too. I hardly ate dinner. It’s almost 11, but I still think I have some left in me. Do you want to pack up? I’ll walk with you down to the kitchens, and then to your common room. So you don’t get in trouble being out past curfew.” She offered kindly._

_Draco thought on it for a minute. He should take her up on the offer. Spending too much time in Granger’s vacinity was dangerous for his mental health these days. He found himself thinking things that would curl his father's hair._

_“You know, I think I still have some questions over this Muggle essay. Let’s just go get a snack and then we can head back and finish. You can just give me a note like last time.” Shit. Ok, so original plan out the window. It appeared his mouth was just making all the decisions._

_“Sure thing, I’d like to stretch my legs anyway.” She said standing and reaching up in a large body stretch. Her shirt hiked up, and Draco caught sight of a sliver of her hip. He swallowed and looked away quickly, muttering to himself about being a stupid wizard with no common sense._

_He might as well start petitioning for Minister of Magic. He was more likely to be elected to the highest wizarding office as he was to land Hermione Granger. They exited the office, and he couldn’t help but stand close to her. Inhaling her scent and letting himself become drunk off it._

_They walked in leisurely silence for a few minutes. It was just past curfew and most of the students were in their common rooms, a few sprinting towards them._

_Draco could hear her gears turning, her eyes focused. He broke the silence. “Do you have something you’re wanting to ask? I can your brain churning.” He rolled his eyes._

_She opened her mouth, and then abruptly closed it, sighing. “Erhm, what are your Christmas plans? Only a few days left til break.”_

_Draco knew that wasn’t what she had wanted to ask, but he let it slide. If she wanted to say something, her Gryffindor tenacity wouldn’t let her stay quiet for long._

_“I’ll be here.”_

_“You aren’t going home?” Her face crumpled in embarrassment before she slapped her palm against her forehead, realizing what a stupid question that was._

_“I doubt old Voldy would be keen on me visiting for the holiday.” He wasn’t angry about her slip, he was just resigned._

_“What about your mum? Can’t you go see her? The order has her in hiding.”_

_“You know way too much about my personal life, Granger.” Through gritted teeth, of course she knew because she was an order member, but he didn’t bloody care. His family was off limits for everyone._

_“Is your Dad still holed up at the Manor then?”_

_“Drop it, Granger.”_  
_“I was just making conversation…”_

_“No, you weren’t.” He said sharply, turning to face her. “Is this the whole point of you tutoring me, then? Try to get the inside scoop on the junior Death Eater? I’ll save you the time. I have received all of one owl from the Manor since my mum and I went into hiding and I failed the Dark Lord. Are you interested in knowing what it said?” He was towering over her, his face flushed and his eyes angry._

_“Draco- You are no son of mine. You will die a penniless blood traitor at the hands of my bretheren. Your mother will never be safe, because of you. Do not put yourself into my presence again, I will treat you as my enemy, for that is what you are. -Lucius.” Draco recited the letter from memory, after reading it dozens of dozens of times._

_He studied her face as he spat the hateful words that he knew her father would never dream of saying to her. She had tears in her eyes, but didn’t let a tear fall. She turned then, and continued on. While he stood as still as a suit of armor._

_“Maybe he was forced to say it. Maybe he had to say it, to make sure you wouldn’t come back. Maybe he was saving you.” She offered hopefully, and he continued walking with her._

_“I wouldn’t hold my breath. Lucius is a cold, heartless, killer. He’s loyal only to his Master, but that doesn’t mean I have to be loyal to him. He’s a right bastard, and I hope to never have him at the end of my wand.”_

_“Oh, Draco.” That shocked him, it was usually Malfoy. “I’m so sorry… this must be so impossible for you. I say this, risking sounding completely ridiculous, and knowing you don’t care… but I’m really proud of you.”_

_Draco’s heart pained and filled with hope, but his brain squashed it quickly. He rolled his eyes. “You’re right, Granger. You’re ridiculous.”_

_“I’ll be here as well, you know.”_

_“You won’t be going home?” He raised an eyebrow._

_“My parents aren’t there. I obliviated them before the start of term… Muggle killings and all.” She looked so incredibly sad. Draco fought every urge to not bring her tight into his arms and kiss away all of her worries. “Hopefully, when this is all over, I’ll see them again.”_

_“Not off to the Weasle’s Hole, then?”_

_She laughed lightly, surprising him. “It’s the BURROW. And no, it’s been weird lately.”_

_“Why?”_

_She let out a deep sigh. You know, Harry and Ginny are together? Destiny, they all call it.” She giggled at the thought._

_“Trewlaney spreading more of her bullshit, I see.” He sneered, what a ridiculous thought. Any logical person knew it was garbage._

_“EXACTLY!” She exclaimed. “Anyway, everyone just expects that Ron and I are meant to be together. It’s exhausting.”_

_Draco ignored the stab of jealousy. Stupid Weasel. It would be funny if Draco wasn’t so pissed, that the idiot he grew up making fun of, had the life that Draco now craved. Weasley would be her hero, no one was going to question his every move as a plot. He could just graduate, and get a job, get the girl of his dreams._

_That was saying a lot, though. Weasley would probably fuck it up, no way he could get it all. But he at least had the opportunity to fuck it up. Draco had… nothing. Not even a home. Merlin’s beard, his parents had royally fucked his life, not that he helped matters._

_“Well, riding off into the sunset as the Weasley Queen, popping out weasel pups. I have to say, I expected more from you, Granger.” He wasn’t lying._

_“Well, I have to say, I expect more from myself too. I just don’t feel that way about Ron. I know I’m supposed to. Destiny, be damned… I think there is supposed to be more.”_

_“More?”_

_“Yes. A relationship with Ron, would be easy. He doesn’t challenge me. Don’t get me wrong, he infuriates me. But he brushes off the topics I care about, all he cares about is Quidditch-”_

_“Well, that’s true of every wizard.”_

_“Yes, well, I just want more. We haven’t really talked about it, we just ignore it. But I can feel his family pressuring us. I’d just rather be alone, the holidays are meant to be happy. I’ll be a black cloud over everyone.”_

_“How does Ron feel about your guy’s destiny?” Draco didn’t feel like letting this topic drop, although she clearly was moving on._

_“I mean, who knows. He’s Ron. He’s not exactly Mr. Sensitive. He has made it pretty clear, he’d like more, but he hasn’t acted on it.” Draco sighed with relief._

_“Well, if you tell anyone I’ve ever said this, I’ll deny it.” He stared holes into his shoes. “But, I agree, you deserve more. Definitely more than a Weasley.”_

_He looked at her, and even in the dim light of their lumos charms, he could see her blush._  
_“For what it’s worth, I think you do too.”_

_They remained in silence until they got to the dungeons. Dobby greeted them, and brought them some tea sandwiches and fresh pumpkin juice. The ate and swapped stories of their late night adventures at Hogwarts over the years. Hermione let slip that Harry owned an invisibility cloak, and Draco turned a bright shade of Gryffindor red to Hermione’s immense amusement._

_When they returned to the library, they found themselves a few seats closer than they had been before their walk._

_\--------_

_Hermione woke on Christmas morning, hardly achieving a good lie in, but at least not up at 5:00 in the morning. She stretched the sleep from her bones and walked out to her private common room. It was magically decorated, and not by her own wand. It must be part of Hogwarts magic, she had just never noticed being in the main common room._

_She looked over and saw a beautiful small breakfast platter on her coffee table and a note from Dobby that simply wished her a Happy Christmas. She smiled at the thoughtfulness of the house elf, and ate it happily. She turned on her christmas music, and sat in front of tree. She saw a handful of presents, mostly wrapped beautifully._

_She opened truffles from Ginny and a book on herbology from Neville. Harry had given her a History of Quidditch book, she laughed at the inscription:_

_For the girl who knows almost everything. Happy Christmas. -Harry_

_Ron’s gift was quite obvious, as it was wrapped horribly. It was half covered in tape, and her name was scribbled directly on the paper itself. She opened the long slender box and found a gold necklace, with 3 charms attached to it. A book, a broom and a heart. A knot welled in her throat, and she swallowed it down._

_She could guess at the implications of the third charm, that she took to symbolize Ron. She felt a pang of guilt. She knew it would be right to just tell Ron that she didn’t see a future with him, but it never came up. She wanted to hold off on that particular conversation as long as was able to._

_Her mind drifted to Draco, and the small box in her trunk that was meant for him. She had sent all of her other gifts off to the Burrow. Draco had become quite an enigma to her these last months. She would sometimes even venture, to call him a friend. When she saw the set, she thought of him immediately. Which was odd enough, but what was even more odd was that she was quickly buying it and storing it in her bag before her friends could see._

_She wondered if they might cross paths today, but figured it might be holed up in his dungeon nursing either a hangover or working towards one._

_Her eyes caught another gift, tucked behind the discarded wrappings of her other gifts. It was a beautifully wrapped green package, with what appeared to be a charmed silver ribbon, as it appeared to be shimmer like water._

_She guessed who this might be from, and her hands were shaking as she undid the ribbon feeling it slip between her fingers. Who even had ribbon this expensive? Malfoy, she thought dryily._

_She opened the lid to the simple box and found 2 gifts. A book, The Magic of Muggleborns: An In Depth History and a small orb the size of a muggle golf ball._

_The grabbed the book first and flipped through the first few pages. She had never seen this book before, and it looked terribly interesting. It highlighted the first recorded accounts of all Muggleborn witches and wizards, as well as biographies on the most influential muggleborns in the wizarding world. They stretched from China to the United States. She couldn’t wait to sit down and read it this evening._

_The orb she looked at curiously and picked it up. It hummed lightly with magic, but nothing happened. It was swirled with a cloudy golden color and was definitely pleasing to look at but she felt like was missing an important puzzle._

_She placed it on the coffee table, and curled up under her blanket. She wondered what everyone was doing at the Burrow and thought of her parents then as well. They were off celebrating the holiday in sunny Australia, none the wiser that they had a daughter who was missing and loving them from half a world away._

_She felt a tear slide down her cheek and wiped it away furiously. No use crying over things that can’t be helped. She reached down to grab the magical orb and it burst to life with a scene before her eyes._

_It was her parents, sitting sandy toed on a beach in late afternoon. Her dad had his arm slung casually around her mother’s shoulder and they were laughing out into the ocean. Her heart wretched in her chest, and she felt like fainting._

_She looked in the box, but no note. She knew it was from Draco, and her heart was sputtering in an abnormal rhythm. She smiled at the magical item, and ventured it was not a trinket picked up at any magic shop._

_Her mind wandered to how thoughtful Draco was, to how much he must have put into this gift and in her hand the orb’s clouds cleared to show Draco lying alone in his empty dorm, reading a book. He was dressed for the day, even though she knew the Slytherin house was empty. With a flame of Gryffindor bravery, she jumped off the sofa and ran into her room to get dressed. She realized suddenly, and maybe for the first time, she wanted to look...pretty. Ugh, she rolled her eyes. She smoothed out her curls and put a little mascara on, she didn’t want to look like she was trying TOO hard. She looked through her wardrobe, and found the “prettiest” thing she owned, that could possibly be considered appropriate._

_She donned a simple red cotton dress that flared at the waist and fell modestly at her knee. She pulled on a white cardigan and slipped on her black flats. This would have to do. She tucked her hair behind her ears and grabbed the red wrapped package out of the trunk, eyeing the gold ribbon, a thought flashed in her mind._

_She reached into the bottom of her trunk and grabbed a bottle of Firewhisky she had confiscated from some 5th years last week. She grinned, grabbed the silver ribbon and tied it in her hair like a headband._

_She puffed up her chest, summoning Godric Gryffindor himself and marched down to the dungeons._

_\---------_

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

_Draco jumped at the sound, his sneakoscope hadn’t gone off so it wasn’t hostile, but he still didn’t think a Slytherin was left at Hogwarts. He opened the door to see a somewhat flustered and blushing Hermione Granger standing at his door._

_She looked beautiful, and horribly innocent._

_“Granger?”_

_“Hello Malfoy. Happy Christmas.”_

_“Uh, Happy Christmas, to you.” He stumbled. “What do I owe the pleasure?”_

_“Let’s head down to the common room?” She turned and walked, and he for some reason followed obediently._

_Entering the dungeon, the fire was already roaring. She rounded the coffee table and sat gracefully in a high back green chair. Draco smirked sitting down, she was a fish out of water and he quite liked watching her fidget._

_His eyes fell then to the ribbon in her hair and his heart quickened. Why did he give her that damn present? It made him weak. Reading his mind, she spoke._

_“Thank you, for my presents. I don’t have words to explain how incredibly thoughtful they were, and how much I love them. Knowing me, you can probably guess I am not usually without words.” She stared at her hands._

_“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about Granger.” He was speaking to the fire, but he wasn’t even attempting to lie convincingly._

_“Right.” She was smiling, and he could hear it in her voice. “Well, I have by happy luck, gotten you a gift as well.”_

_His eyes snapped to her, a gift? “I don’t need anything.” He said flatly._

_“Well, I’ve already got it. Fancy a drink?” His ears perked at that._

_“A drink? Pumpkin Juice?” He almost laughed. She rolled her eyes and reached down the side of her chair and produced a bottle of Firewhisky and conjured 2 glasses. “I nicked it from some treacherous little 5th years. Normally, I don’t condone the drinking of spirits, but it is Christmas.”_

_“Well, that’s naughty Granger! But I’d hardly turn it down. Pour us a glass, then.” And she did. He downed it and grabbed the bottle to pour another. She sipped hers and winced, he smiled. Sitting in a snake's den, sitting as pretty as a picture._

_“Right, where’s my gift?”_

_She giggled, “I thought you didn’t want anything!”_

_“Actually, I said I didn’t need anything. I’m rather spoilt and can’t turn away a gift. So where is it?”_

_She rolled her eyes, and produced a simple small red box with gold ribbon. He suddenly felt rather anxious, and didn’t want to open it._

_“It’s not much… and I doubt it’s half as good as the gifts you gave me. You might actually be pissed when you open it. So have another drink.” He stared at the innocuous little box, and his long fingers did away with the wrappings._

_He opened the lid and saw two small silver cufflinks embedded with Emeralds. There was a snake wrapping around an ornate “M”. The Malfoy crest. They had belonged to his father._

_He stared at them for a long time. “How?” Was the only word he trusted himself enough to say._

_“I, er, I saw them in the Petro’s Second Hand store. Ginny was looking for replacement robes, and I just uhm, I thought they might belong with you. I’m sure some stingy rat snitched them and wanted to get a pretty galleon... Are you mad?” She rushed all the words out, not knowing when to stop or start again._

_“No.” He kept staring. “They have been in my family for generations, and you are correct. After my father was taken to Azkaban a few years back, they were never retrieved. I don’t feel a ton of family pride these days… but I really do appreciate these. Thank you.” He coughed, hoping it hid the crack in his voice._

_He had never been given anything that meant so much to him. True, his Christmases were usually chock full of expensive gifts, too many to count._

_“I can pay you back, I’m sure they were expensive.” He said, finally meeting her eyes. “Let me grab some galleons…” He made to stand and she waved her hand._

_“Please, don’t worry about that. I am so glad you have them. Can I ask you a question?”_

_“Anything.” he said without thinking, offering up maybe more than he was willing to provide._

_“Why didn’t you do it? Why didn’t you kill Dumbledore?” She was sipping quicker on her whisky now, and Draco took a moment to answer. He spent so much time thinking about it, and practicing what he would say… but it didn’t prepare him for this moment._

_He topped off his glass and leaned back. “I’m not used to getting pissed in the afternoon, Granger.”_

_“I’m not used to getting pissed at all.” He laughed then, and it was a genuine belly laugh. It sounded strange even to him._

_Draco was quiet for a moment._

_“I can’t imagine what it’s like to learn about magic for the first time. It’s always been apart of my entire life, every memory is interlaced with magic. I don’t even know that I’ve ever spoken to a proper Muggle. It must have been a revelation, to know that all of those inklings and feelings, they were true. They meant something so much bigger than you ever imagined.”_

_“It was remarkable,” she said simply, “Life changing, earth shattering,” he gave a wry laugh._

_“In a much darker way, that’s how it was for me to learn the truth about Muggleborns. I grew up thinking that you were less. A thief of magic, an abomination. I said shit I knew didn’t make sense, but it had to be true. I had my reputation. I didn’t really understand it, I just grew up believing it. So when I started getting in deep, realizing that this psycho wanted me to actually murder an old man, and kill my classmates… I just had that moment. That moment was when Dumbledore was at the end of my wand, disarmed, 120 years old. It wasn’t right. I took his deal. I let the Order steal my mother away and put her in hiding. I’m not the person I was raised to be.”_

_She was holding her breath during his testimony and she stared intently at him._

_“Listen, I’m still a right prick. I always will be. I might say shite to just rile you up, but I don’t think you have filthy blood. I respect your magic. And… I’m sorry.”_

_“I’m sorry, too.”_

_“What in the hell could you ever be sorry for?” He said with some animosity. She was the innocent here._

_“I’ve always pegged you, I never got to know you enough well enough to truly judge you. I just believed what I saw. I’m glad I see more now..”_

_“I have never given you a chance to see more.”_

_“Cheers, Malfoy.”_

_“Cheers, Granger. Happy Christmas.”_

____________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This flashback was the reason I decided to write the prequel! I couldn't help myself! I would really love if you guys gave me an scene to incorporate into that story. Wild as it may be, I will try to get in there.
> 
> I am a bit nervous about this chapter... hope it's ok!


	9. NINE

“I’m going in, Granger.”

“To hell you are! Are you barking?” She exclaimed, grabbing at his arms. No way he was walking in there.

“Listen, you get Tuscany. I get this. I’m going,” Draco leaned down and kissed her cheek. He turned back into the restaurant and walked towards the door the others had disappeared into.

“Bloody hell,” she cursed, casting a disillusionment spell on herself.

\--------

Malfoy summoned all that pompous confidence he had emanated in his youth and swaggered up to the guard.

“Open up, dumbshit.” He waited.

“Sir? I’m not sure you’re on the list.” The guard stuttered, not sure what to do.

“Hah! Do you know who the fuck I am?” He spat at the lowly guard.

“You are Draco Malfoy.”

“Do you think, I might not be invited to this meeting? Or do you think you fucked up and didn’t read the list right? I doubt you’d want to get this wrong.” His face curled in hate.

“Sir.” He opened the door. Fucking idiot.

Draco waltzed into the room where almost a dozen of his former classmates sat, including Theo Nott and Pansy Parkinson.

“Draco Malfoy, as I live and breathe.”

“Fuck off, Pansy.” he said casually, “Well, well, what do we have here? Little reunion for the Inquisitorial Squad?”

“You really shouldn’t be here, Malfoy. Might be bad for your health.” Flint was trying his best at the menacing act, but Draco had nailed that down during 2nd year.

“Where’s Granger?” Nott spoke up.

“Well, your little twit, Parkinson, just saw that Granger walked out on me. Mid-meal. Cheers Pans, just as fucking annoying as ever.” Rolling his eyes. “What’s this business then?”

“No business of yours, blood traitor.” Some nameless minion spoke up. Draco let out a laugh.

“You’re right. No business of mine. You bloody tossers used to be my friends, so listen to me. You are not unnoticed by the Ministry. They know who you are. They are watching your moves. Stop what you are doing, let the old ways die with the old men.”

“You’re as good as that filthy fucking Mudblood of yours.”

“Draco baby, come back over to the dark side, we are waiting for you.” She said plainly, examining her fingernails.

“Salazar’s rod, I am not here to rejoin the movement. I am here to tell you, leave this foolish business behind you.”

“The door is open, Draco. Feel free to use it. This is just a little get together for former schoolmates, but I assure you, you are not welcome.”

“Former schoolmates? Really? You guys are about as stealthy a drunk dragon. It’s not working. You’ll end up in Azkaban or worse, so please give it up,” he implored.

“Toss off, blood traitor,” Theo spat, “Granger will be screaming my name come Saturday night, and will have forgotten all about your sorry arse.”

With that, Draco stood and left the room.

\----------------------------

Draco sat nervously in the Head Master’s office, wringing his sweaty hands repeatedly. He hadn’t seen Granger in four days, and had finally mustered up the courage to approach Dumbledore.

He didn’t think the Headmaster knew about Granger and his relationship, but when he had confessed that there was more to their friendship, Dumbledore didn’t bat an eyelash.

Granger had left with scarhead and the pauper on Friday, although Draco had protested pretty vehemently. They were on a mission to collect Horcruxes and had a lead. She promised she’d be back no later than Saturday. That came and went, along with Sunday and Monday.

The door burst open and in rushed none other than Harry Potter, panting wildly and covered in a thick layer of dirt and blood. The sight of him made Draco want to vomit, as he couldn’t help but think whose blood he was wearing.

“PROFESSOR!” He screamed, not yet noticing Draco’s presence. Dumbledore stepped forward and the words started pouring out of his mouth. “We were found at Godric’s Hollow. Ambushed. We apparated to the woods, but we were followed. Snatchers. We were taken.”

“Slow down, Harry. Where are Ron and Hermione now? Are they safe?”

“No. They are at Malfoy Manor.” He exclaimed, running out of breath as he doubled over.

“NO!” Draco hadn’t meant to, but he cried out. Garnishing Harry’s attention for the first time along with an angry glare.

“That’s right, daddy has my best friends locked away in your slimy dungeon.” He sneered at him.

“I must alert the Aurors at once, we will get them out. How did you escape, Harry?” Dumbledore questioned.

“Dobby. He saved me. And Draco’s Auntie,” Harry spared him a nasty look, “Repayed the favor by killing him as we escaped. He was meant to go back, Professor. I don’t even know what they are doing to them. Hermione’s in bad shape. Bellatrix questioned and tortured her for hours. I….I couldn’t get back in to save them, Professor.” Harry was crying into his hands now.

“I’ll go. The wards should still let me in. I can get into the dungeons easy enough, I’ll get them out.” Draco stood and prepared to leave. Feigning courage he didn’t really possess.

“I could never ask that of you, Mr. Malfoy.”

Draco scoffed at the old man, “You’ve asked more than that of these suicidal idiots for years, it could take forever the aurors to storm the Manor. It could cost lives you aren’t prepared to sacrifice. I can do this.”

Dumbledore took a long few minutes to consider Draco’s proposition.

“Very well, Mr. Malfoy. I will accompany you.”

“I’m going with you as well.” Potter stood and wiped furiously at his cheeks.

“No chance in hell, no offense, Sir. Potter, You are a walking target, and if I have any chance getting in and out with my life and your friends, I don’t need to be watching out for you too. Besides, let’s hope the wards still let me in. There is no way you two are getting in without getting seriously splinched. My father won’t harm me, I just need to be fast.” He really wanted to believe that. “Where can I apparte from, sir?”

Dumbledore nodded in understanding, a trace of sadness in his clear blue eyes as they took Draco in.

“The Astronomy Tower. Go quickly, help will be on the way should you need it.”

“And how will I alert the aurors I need help?”

“Have Ron or Hermione send a Patronous. They know how.”

“Right. I’ll be back, sir.”

With that Draco was off, climbing the stairs to that fated tower that changed his life. His heart was pounding but his hands were steady. He mentally berated himself for not going to Dumbledore sooner, he might have changed something. Again his cowardice would cost him everything.

Granger. She was all he could think about. They had barely begun anything, and now she would be taken away from him. The thought of his own blood torturing the girl he had become so fond of made him feel like vomiting.

He ran to the platform overlooking the Black Lake and took a deep breath. Praying to Salazar that he wouldn’t get splinched and the wards hadn’t changed. He put his bedroom clearly in his mind and then with a swirl of magic he was gone and then there again.

His room was untouched and the curtains were drawn. Draco felt shrouded by the shadows and he breathed easily for a moment. He ran over to his desk quickly, ripped open the desk drawer and grabbed the small black box his mother had given to him the year before.

He then pressed himself against the large double doors, listening for any sound. None came except the blood rushing in his ears. He swallowed a large breath and slid out the doors. He moved quickly and silently, calling on all of his Seeker training.

His home felt suddenly so foreign to him. All the years running down these halls with Crabbe and Goyle, being yelled at by his mum, as he rode his broom in the grand ballroom against the rules, kissing Pansy for the first time in this very hallway.

He shook away his ghosts, and tried to forget that this evil place had once been home.

He made it to the grand staircase and still found no one, so he descended into the entry of the manor. It was perfectly quiet, and that could mean only a few people were here. The fewer the better. Off to the left was his father’s study, the door was cracked open and he saw his dad’s back facing out the window, a hunch to his shoulders.

He adjusted his grip on his wand and took a shuddering breath.

“Expelliarmus.” He said firmly and his father’s walking stick landed quickly in his outstretched palm. Lucius turned angrily to see his attacker and his face brightened before it fell as he saw his son.

“Draco! What in the fuck are you doing here?” He whispered, a good sign. He wasn’t shouting for backup.

“Where are Granger and Weasley’s wands?” Draco ignored his father’s question. He hadn’t dropped his wand and it pointed squarely at his father’s chest and Draco ignored the slight shake in his wrist.

“What? You’re here for them?” Disbelief thick in his voice. “A blood traitor and a Mudblood?”

“Yes, yes, and please spare me the song and dance, I need to get out of here.”

“This is the path you choose, son? To abandon generations of tradition and your parents?”

“Don’t be stupid.” He spat at his father, “Mum believes in me, she’s still with me. She’s safe by the way, not that you even care. You’ll never see her again, if I have anything to do with it. But yes, I choose them. I deserve…” Granger’s words haunted him, “More. More than all of this.”

“More than this? More than money and power than you could ever use in a hundred lifetimes? What a spoiled child you are, to think you deserve more than all I have to offer you.”

All I have to offer you. In some twisted way, was Lucius actually thinking he was doing a good job as a parent? He was providing Draco with what he thought was important, and getting it at any means necessary.

“On with it.” He poked the air with his wand, refusing to soften towards his father.

Lucius stared for a long minute as his son. “Will you put me in a body bind curse before you leave? The Dark Lord will kill me if he knows I let you go.” Sighing deeply and filled with sadness. He reached into his desk and produced three wands, which he slowly handed over. “Draco, I…”

“Save it, Father.” He raised and refocused his wand and took the others.

“I don’t know if I’ll see you again.” Draco saw a look on his father’s face he had never seen before. Sadness. He was completely defeated, and upon further inspection Draco noticed his skin was looking gray. He had purple bruises on his face and his cheeks were sunken. “I’m so sorry for everything, son. Don’t make the mistakes I’ve made, and I don’t mean in following the Dark Lord. You’re the better man. Here, take this.”

Lucius handed over an envelope.

“It’s to a Gringotts account the Dark Lord doesn’t know about. It will last you and your mother for the rest of your days. Invest it wisely, and your children will never want for anything. Start your new line, be happy.” He waved it off casually, but Draco wasn’t fooled.

“Right.” Draco said hesitantly taking the envelope and opening his mouth to cast the curse.

“Tell your mother… She was the love of my life. Will you?” Draco’s mouth was hanging open. His father was saying goodbye, and he didn’t know how to feel about it. He was a selfish, evil bastard who had never said a kind word about anyone. He had resigned that he would never have the love of his father, and he certainly wouldn’t love him back. But the idea of this being the end made his heart ache with the finality of it all.

“Petrificus Totalus,” he said finally. Lucius fell to the ground with a thud. he thought he might say something before going, but he didn’t know what. “Goodbye, Father.” Was all he could summon. And he turned and was about to leave the study with the 4 wands.

He paused and walked back over to his father, dropping his walking stick which concealed his wand next to his frozen body.

He started to make his way towards the dungeons, moving like a silent cat, sticking to the shadows. A few portraits noticed him, but said nothing.

He heard a scream that stopped his heart, intertwined with an evil cackle. He stopped in his tracks and turned towards the awful noise. The screaming didn’t stop, Granger’s voice kept filling his ears. He tore away towards the ballroom, sweat gathering along his forehead and a sob threatening to break his stamina.

His vision blurred at the same as it sharpened. A dangerous amount of adrenaline pumping through his consciousness.

When he made it, he looked in to see Bellatrix hovering over Hermione and scratching something into her forearm. She looked dead, and Draco prayed he was wrong. He held his breath, and looked around the room. It was just his Aunt, no one else here. Weasley must still be in the Dungeons.

He aimed at Bellatrix’s back and shouted the worst curse he could bring to mind. “CONFRINGO.” Her body twisted in the air and smashed nastily against the far wall, her wand falling by Hermione’s hand. His aunts broken body lay so still he thought he might have killed her, but he knew he didn’t have that kind of luck.

He ran over to Hermione,tt shoving all the wands in his pocket. Looking down at her, he knew she must be dead and he wanted to lay down next to her. To let Voldemort come by and finish him off as well.

She let out a moan and his heart soared. “Granger. Damnit, I told you not to run off with those idiots. Ennervate.” He twisted his wand and a large breath filled her chest and her eyes fluttered open. “Where are you hurt? Can you walk?”

“Draco?” Her eyes were cloudy and there were burst blood vessels surrounding her brown irises. He did a quick assessment and found that she definitely had a few broken ribs and her breathing was shallow. Her cheekbone had a large bruise smeared across it and there was a cut on her leg that had soaked through her clothes. Her hair was matted with blood, and it clung to the side of her face and neck. She was so broken.

“Good to see you too, Granger. You have no idea how good. Let’s go.”

He noticed Bellatrix’s wand and looked back to her, still not moving. He reached out and grabbed the knotted wand and with all his strength, snapped it in half leaving the pieces where they were.

He wondered if he should kill her. If he should end her madness once and for all, but again his cowardice took over. For all of his dark ambitions in his youth, he didn’t have enough hate in his body to muster the curse. He couldn’t finish this.

He scooped Hermione up and she made little effort to cling to him. There was fresh blood dripping from her arm and pooling at their feet, and she seemed to be bobbing in between consciousness.

He tried to run, but found his feet wouldn’t let him move fast enough. Every second wasted could be their last. He was waiting on held breath to hear an Avada aimed at his back.

He made it at last to the dungeons and down the stairs.

Weasley was clutching his abdomen, covered in blood. His eye was swollen shut and he looked to be covered in his own filth.

“Weasley, get the fuck up. We have to go.”

“Master Malfoy?” A small voice spoke up. Poppy.

“Hi Poppy, yes.” Relief flooded his senses, “I need your help. Drop the wards now, Poppy.”

“Oh, Master Malfoy, Poppy can not. She is instructed to watch these prisoners by Master Malfoy! They can not leave. One has already escaped, and I am awaiting my punishment for that mistake now.”

Draco closed his eyes in frustration, “Listen Poppy. You are coming with me. He unbuttoned his shirt quickly and tossed it at her. She caught it instinctively and her eyes filled with tears.

“Oh, what have you done Master Malfoy?” She dropped the shirt. “What have you done?!” She was crying. Fuck. He didn’t have time for this.

“Listen, you will drop the wards now. Then come over here, we are leaving. All of us.” Poppy was staring at her hands and crying, but she muttered the incantation to drop the wards. “Brilliant, Poppy, I need to you to apparate Weasley here to St. Mungo’s. I can’t side apparate everyone. Got it? St. Mungos. Are you listening?”

Poppy was wailing, but slowly listening to her instructions. She grabbed Weasley’s broken arm and through broken sobs apparated them out of the Dungeon.

“Don’t worry Granger, it’s going to be over soon.” He leaned down to press a kiss on her bloodied forehead and they spun in a whirl of magic arriving in the lobby of Saint Mungo’s next to a bawling House Elf and a comatose Ginger.

Granger went limp in his embrace and her arm rolled forward, exposing the injury on her forearm that his Aunt had branded her with.

Mudblood.

Draco couldn’t even contain the wretch for his stomach this time. He vomited on the floor.

\-------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	10. TEN

Hermione walked into the Leaky Cauldron with Draco by her side, and ignored the lingering glances from around the pub. She spotted Ron waving from the back corner, and watched in amusement as his face fell into a scowl upon noticing Draco. 

Draco didn’t really fit in the Leaky Cauldron. He was all tall and gorgeous, immaculately dressed, shoes shining. He was always wiping invisible dust from his sleeves. How could someone’s whose entire color pallet was platinum and moonlight look so good in every shade of black. His face was stoic and calm, never cracking even under the extreme stares. 

Hermione took a deep breath and walked towards the back of the pub. She paused at the booth and noticed that Ron and Harry were sitting across from each other. 

“Err…” She looked at the open seats and did the math. She made a move to sit down, and felt a hand at her lower back lead her to the seat next to Harry. Draco’s jealousy was, admittedly adorable. He made a face and wiped down the seat next to Ron before sitting as far on the edge as he could. 

“Is poverty contagious?” He spoke up innocently, looking only at Hermione. She choked on the butterbeer the boys had thought ahead to order for her and couldn’t help but giggle a little. 

“DRACO!” She said through a giggle, and then upon noticing Ron’s pissed off face, reigned in her fit, “I’m sorry Ron, you know he doesn’t mean it.”

“Why in the bloody hell is this slimy little git doing here, Hermione?” Ron said through gritted teeth and a face a deep magenta color. 

“I didn’t bring Draco here just to piss you off, despite what you must think. I have to tell you a lot of information, and he is a large part of everything. There is just a lot I didn’t tell you… I don’t know where to start.” 

Harry grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Just start at the beginning, Mione. We just want to understand. You’re out of nowhere hanging out with someone who has made your life hell for almost 10 years.” 

“Well,” she gulped, “Ok, so the beginning is actually the beginning of 7th year.”

“I knew you shouldn’t have agreed to tutor this tosser, he’s probably been bloody manipulating you for years now!” 

“Ron, let me talk. Please. I know you’ll have questions and a lot to say, but just give me a few minutes.”

Hermione went on explain the start of the relationship, how they fell in love, how he had broken her heart without knowing, and finally their reconciliation after the gala. 

Everyone stayed relatively quiet during the explanation. Ron was cradling his 3rd firewhisky since the story began and Harry was listening intently, glancing back and forth between the Draco and Hermione. 

“Is that why you went back for her at Malfoy Manor?” Harry asked in a quiet voice. 

“What’s that about?” Ron asked, his face angry.

“I don’t answer to you, Potter.” Draco wouldn’t even make eye contact. 

“Draco, this would go exponentially easier if you could play nice. Harry isn’t being rude.”

Draco rolled his eyes, “Yes, King Potter. Hermione and I had already begun our relationship and I certainly didn’t want her dead. So I went back.” 

“When?” Ron asked again.

“I knew something was off, you aren’t the type to just offer up your safety for these two. I should have known.” Harry chewed on the inside of his lip. 

“Harry Potter! How dare you say that!” Draco just looked away.

“Someone tell me what in the hell is going on! What the barmy are you talking on about?” Ron yelled

“Ronald, Draco saved you and I from Malfoy Manor. He delivered us to St. Mungos.”

Ronald stared for a minute before barking in laughter, doubling over himself with a full belly laugh. Draco just stared coldly at him. 

“I should have left him.” Draco said plainly, glaring at him from the corner of his eyes. 

“Hermione! Harry! Come on, the Order saved us. You know that.” Wiping tears of laughter from his cheeks. 

“No, they didn’t Ronald. But Draco’s involvement had to stay confidential, he broke Bellatrix’s wand and seriously injured her to get me away from her. Dumbledore and the Order didn’t want anyone to come after him, well more than they already were... so they hid the rescue. It was him. You were unconscious, but I woke up several times. He saved our lives.” 

Hermione looked lovingly at Draco who gave her a small smile and sipped his drink. 

“Hermione, stop looking at him like that or I swear I will vomit right here.” 

“Ronald! You all need to learn to get along! I am not forfeiting my relationship with anyone sitting at this table. Get over yourselves and your childish school house rivalries.”

“Does he know we dated, Mione? It’s important that he knows I should think.” Ron sat up straight and puffed out his chest, earning a bark of laughter from Draco. 

“Merlin’s beard, Ron. We had a damn press conference when we broke up. Yes, he knows. In full disclosure, the day of the Great Battle was when I ended things with Draco.”

“The day we got together? What the fuck, Hermione!” Ron was getting increasingly drunk and belligerent and Draco was getting irritated. 

“Ugh, I hate this.” Hermione started rubbing her temples. “Let’s move on for a bit.” 

“Theodore Nott is using Hermione. Wondergirl here has decided the best way to infiltrate their little band of idiots is to go away for a romantic getaway this weekend with a known Death Eater who has on multiple occasions made clear his intention to bed her and kill her off once he regains standing.” 

Harry seemed lost in thought and Ron was so tense at hearing Malfoy speak, Hermione thought this evening was about to come to a head. 

“Hermione, you can’t go.” Harry finally said, earning a laugh from Hermione. 

“I think I missed the day you were assigned my keeper! I am not here for permission, I am here to let you know.” 

“She’s a lost cause, Potter.” Draco offered kindly. 

“I have these”, she handed over the coins from Dumbledore’s army. “They have the same charms as back in school. They’ll heat up if I need you. I can handle Nott for one night.”

“Am I missing something? What does you going away with him gain? It doesn’t make sense. Harry is right, you aren’t going.” Ron resolved.

“Again, not up for discussion.” Hermione argued. “ I know this might not be the most ethical… but Draco has some veritaserum…” 

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” All three shouted at once. 

“Oh hush, I’ll just slip a bit in his drink at dinner. He is already suspicious I know something, now that I’m seeing Draco publically. I don’t need to continue on with this relationship, I just need to get some information.” 

 

“Hermione! What are you thinking? Sure, he will have to tell you the truth. What good is that going to do when he curses you as soon as he realizes he can’t lie?” 

“I have handled far worse than Nott. I can handle it.” She spoke through a clenched jaw. “This is not up for discussion. Keep your coins on you.” She stood up and stormed out of the now crowded bar. 

Draco stood slowly and finished his drink. He smoothed out his suit and turned toward the pair of them. “Potty. Weasel. Til next time.” He followed Hermione out into the rain. 

\--------

Theo cancelled lunch plans and had been doing a pretty good job at avoiding Hermione all week. Hermione wasn’t disappointed but she was becoming increasingly suspicious. All of their interactions were brief and much colder than they had been. 

She was dating his classmate, so it was expected. She found herself wishing she could cancel this entire thing. Take back their time together, and perhaps the entire year she spent separated from Draco. 

Draco was trying his best to be understanding, but he was having a hard time letting her go. 

Theo was expected around 10:00 to show up to her flat and whisk her off to Tuscany for the night. Draco had insisted upon spending the night, and left around 9:30, not wanting to lose a single minute with her. 

When he said goodbye, he took both sides of her face in his hands and kissed her so deeply that she had felt like crying. 

“Be careful,” he whispered before Flooing home. 

She sat there with her overnight bag and her heart pounding in her chest. Ugh, this was potentially a bad idea. 

A knock on her door made her heart plunge. 

She opened it quickly with a large, fake smile on her face. Theo looked up and smiled back at her, but there was a tightness around his eyes. 

“Hermione, are you ready? We have a big night!” She invited him in and grabbed her bag. Taking his offered arm and letting them disappear in a swirl of magic. 

___________________

Damnit. Damnit all. Why had he allowed this to happen. He flipped the coin in his hand, waiting for it to heat it up. He knew it would. 

He couldn’t shake this feeling that something was horribly wrong. He had started pacing immediately upon Flooing home and hadn’t stopped in the last 3 hours. He knew he didn’t expect to hear from her, but it was still disconcerting. 

He walked over to his desk and scribbled a note:

Potter, 

Meet me at the Manor. I’ll adjust the wards. Be here as soon as you can. Bring the Weasel.

Malfoy

He tied the note to Arrakis’ leg and sent him off to find his one time nemesis.

“Poppy?” With a snap, Poppy was standing next to Draco. I have to run out quickly, please adjust the wards to allow Harry Potter, yes Harry Potter.” Her face brightened at his name and he scowled and rolled his eyes. Even house elves weren’t immune to wonder boy’s fame. “Or Ronald Weasley access. No one else.” 

“Yes, Sir.” She cracked out of the room again. 

He walked over to the floo and grabbed some powder. Stepping in announced his destination. “Parkinson Manor”. 

\--------

Draco stepped out of the floo into the home he had taken as many dinners in as his own. It didn’t feel the same anymore, colder somehow. 

“Pansy!” He yelled, knowing his mother would be slapping him a top the head for his poor manners. 

A silver haired witch popped her head around the corner. “Draco Malfoy! Why I haven’t seen you in ages, how are you dear?” 

“Mrs. Parkinson, is Pansy here? I need to speak to her, it’s urgent.” He rushed. 

“Yes, yes, let me grab her!” Her eyes were a light with hope, she thought he was here to reconcile. He pinched the bridge of her nose. 

Pansy emerged a few minutes later, perfectly poised and dressed. She smiled brightly, “Draco! Do tell me you’ve come to your senses-”

“Enough with the shit Pansy, what does Nott have planned?” His hand flew up to halt her and her intentions.

“Merlin, really Draco? You’re still on about that swot?” She rolled her eyes, and her face transformed into a sneer. She rerouted her course and took a seat in the chair across the room. “What makes you think I’d tell you anything, anyway?”

“It’s not too late, Pansy. I’ve known you our whole lives, I know you better than anyone.” 

She pursed her lips, “Yes, well the feeling is not mutual. Who have you even turned into, Draco?” 

“Listen I need to know what’s going on, I love her Pansy,” he confessed. 

“Hah, and is that supposed to appeal to the romantic in me? Supposed to change this dark ol’ twisty heart of mine?” Tears were forming and he realized then that he had really hurt her all those months ago. They might be planning a wedding right now, if he hadn’t fallen for Granger. 

“Look,” He kneeled by her and took her hands. “I know this isn’t fair to you. I know that you had a whole other idea of what our lives would be like, and I’m sorry that I changed everything by falling in love with someone else. It’s not fair to you, and I know that. But I need you, Pansy. I need your help.” 

Pansy started chewing on her lip and tears started to betray her. “I don’t want her dead… You know I don’t. This whole thing is getting out of hand.,” she whispered. 

“Dead?” Draco’s heart sank. “Pansy, tell me now,” he pleaded

She reached around her neck and pulled out a long pendant. It was glass, and inside was a small charm. “The charm is a portkey. The meeting is tonight. Granger will be there. Nott said he had to improvise now that you were so deeply involved and I don’t know, Draco. Even some of the other members aren’t feeling Nott’s intentions. This is dangerous, and no one wants to end up in Azkaban.”

“Merlin. Ok, thank you Pansy. Thank you.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I won’t forget this.” 

“I loved you, you know?” She said through her tears, Draco sighed. 

“I know.” He didn’t want to lie to her, not about this. He was being cold, he knew it, but he didn’t have anything else to say. He snatched the pendant from her neck and walked towards the Floo once more. Hopefully Potter and Weasley were there waiting for him. 

_______

He stormed into his study to find Potter sitting quietly on the end of the chaise lounge. Weasley jumped in surprise by Draco’s desk, quickly pretending he wasn’t just going through all of his shit. 

“Nice, Weasley.” Draco glared at him.

“Just checking, you know… paraphernalia. I am an Auror now. It’s my duty.” 

“Whatever, tosser. We’ve got bad news. I’ve just been to Pansy’s -”

“You mean, your ex-girlfriend and Death Eater sympathizer?” Ron baited him. 

“Merlin’s beard, Ron. Let him talk!” Harry snapped, earning an appreciative nod from Draco and a sneer from Ron. 

“Hermione’s heading for a trap, Theo switched plans. She’s in trouble. From what Pansy said, big trouble.” 

“Why would Parkinson give up information on her mates?” Harry asked curiously.

“Listen, Pansy is a blood supremacist and uppity bitch, but she’s not a murderer. She said she thinks this is getting out of hand, and a lot of other revivalists feel the same way. She gave me the portkey to the meeting.” Draco held up the necklace, the portkey on the inside of the glass was small, the size of a Sickle maybe. He would need to break the glass and in doing so would most likely be immediately transported. 

“We can’t all use the Portkey. It has to be me.” Draco said with a nod of finality. 

“Uhhhh, no. Are you fucking crazy, Malfoy? Who here has actual training in trapping Dark Wizards? Defeating Dark Wizards?” Ron squared off to Malfoy, knowing he spoke the truth. 

“Why did I even let Potter bring you? I swear if it weren’t for you hanging on the coat tails of Granger and Potter you’d be stocking shelves for you brother rather than in Auror training.” His face curled up into a menacing facade, “I was a Dark Wizard, you useless twit. They won’t think twice about cursing your useless arse. Me, on the other hand? I’m at least more for ransom.”

Ron’s face was a deep purple and he looked like Draco was about to be on the receiving end of a sucker punch. Draco knew exactly what buttons to push on Weasley, and no matter what his feelings for Hermione - he was still Malfoy. 

“I’ll be using MY portkey,” staring pointedly at Weasley. “Potter, put a tracking spell on me. You should be able to get to me, but it might take awhile. They shouldn’t be out of the country, but you will need to apparate to the closest location once I Portkey. Brooms should help, I have some spares.” He only spoke to Potter, and it seemed that they had reached a truce of sorts. 

“Okay, Malfoy. I need to alert the other Aurors, we will need backup. Can we use the Manor to launch?” Potter was gripping his wand, ready to cast. 

With a wave of his hand, Draco agreed. Soon his family would be filled with Aurors. Just a year ago, it housed a dozen Death Eaters. Damn, a year really did change everything. 

Harry cast his Patronous and Malfoy stood with his mouth open, staring at the fantastic magic. He had never cast one, never even tried. He was sure he didn’t have a memory anywhere near happy enough, not until recently that is. 

The stag ran off through the window to alert the other aurors, and Poppy quickly changed the wards. Harry then turned his wand on Draco, who panicked for a quick moment, before realizing he had asked him to cast a spell on him. 

He felt a cool tingle spread over his body, and knew that the Locator Spell was in place. 

“Right, I’m off then.”

Draco dropped the necklace on the ground and it didn’t shatter. 

“Malfoy.” Weasley spoke up. “Be careful.” 

“Always, Weasel.” 

All three of them let out a gasp, as they felt their coin turn boiling hot in their pockets. They looked frantically at each other. 

Draco brought his foot up and crushed it onto the pendant, immediately feeling the tell tale pull of the portkey at his navel as it pulled himself to another place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wah! Only one chapter left and the epilogue now! Then I get to settle in to the prequel :D


	11. ELEVEN

Hermione stepped into the beautifully, rustic sun room of the Nott “cottage”. Hermione wouldn’t call it a cottage, as it was really just a small mansion, tucked into the secluded Italian countryside. 

The walls were a mint green and decorated with beautiful accents of cream and coral. It certainly didn’t look a Death Eater hideout.

“This is beautiful, Theo.” Hermione turned to face him and found that he was staring out the window, his back to her. 

“I’m glad you think so, Hermione.” He said stiffly. Something was off, he knew or suspected something. He wasn’t being his normal charming self. 

“What do we have planned for the day?” Hermione offered cheerfully. 

“Would you like a drink?” He turned to her then and his eyes seemed darker. This was a perfect chance to sneak him the Veritaserum, but she had an instinct that it wasn’t a good idea. All of her instincts were screaming to Apparate out there, and quickly. 

“A drink would be great! Thank you.” Godric, this was so uncomfortable. 

Theo turned and made his way to the kitchen. She groaned internally, she missed Draco. She reached down to her bag and grabbed the charmed coin that was her lifeline to the boys. She slipped it in her back pocket and could already feel it starting to warm slightly. They would know she wasn’t comfortable. 

Theo returned carrying two glasses and offered her one. His normally blue eyes were almost black, his pupils dilated. They watched her sharpley and followed her every breath, every twitch. 

She suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling, she should not drink what was being offered. He raised his glass to cheers her. “Alla Vostra Salute.” He offered flatly. 

They clinked glasses and he lifted the glass to his lips. She didn’t follow suit. 

“It’s considered rude, you know, not to drink when someone cheers to your health.” 

“Theo…” She started backing away, “I think I ought to leave, I’m not feeling well.” 

“Fine.” He said through gritted teeth. “The hard way then.” He finished his drink in a fell swoop and threw the glass against the wall. She continued backing away, not wanting to turn her back to him. Her back hit the wall and she felt behind her for a door knob or window.

Theo’s wand was pointed squarely at her, and she cursed herself for having her wand holstered against her thigh. She couldn’t get to it quickly under her jeans. 

A bright jet of yellow magic shot through the tip of his wand and she felt consciousness slip. 

\----------------

Draco arrived in the stairwell of a set of impressive dungeons. There used to be a similar catacomb of cells at the Manor, but upon him taking ownership he demolished them. There were several hall ways all leading to different chambers. Blast it all, he was never going to find her. He turned sharply down the first corridor and used his wand to mark the stone at the entrance, a trick he picked up from the ever changing dungeons at Hogwarts. 

He charged down and looked into each cell. Nothing. Straw beds and windowless rooms. They had an eternal stench of feces and blood that a million Scourgify’s could not rid. If his adrenaline hadn’t been so heightened he might have paused to vomit quickly. 

Granger, damnit. Why couldn’t she just listen. He reached the end of the corridor and turned quickly on his heel to sprint back. 

He thought briefly to the Suicide Twins. Even if they apparated off property, there was no way in hell they would make it into these dungeons. Maybe the Weasel, he did have pureblood after all. Draco assumed that was the only reason he was allowed entry so easily. 

As he approached his starting point, he heard voices. He stepped deeper into the shadows and pressed himself flatly against the cold stone wall. An enchanted torch barely breathing its light into the darkness a few feet ahead. 

“Just heard from him, they are coming early.”

“Did he say why?” 

“Change of plans. That’s all he said. They should be here any second.” 

Draco was just about to step forward and stun both the morons, when a crack sounded and bounced off the walls. 

“Sir, what room would you like her in?”

“Just take her down and to the left. We will grab her before the ceremony.” 

Draco felt bile rise in his mouth and he heard the incantation to levitate her. She was unconscious. Most likely wandless. Fuck. 

He was going to kill Nott, the first chance he got. B, this wasn’t the time. There were 3 of them, and Hermione could get caught in the crossfire, unable to shield herself.

He stepped away from the wall, trying to look after where they were headed. He’d have to track her down once these dipshits dispersed. Then he’d get them out of here and plan a wicked revenge for Nott. 

Nott was standing with his back to Draco, looking down a hallway where they were taking Hermione. 

“Accio Wand.” A voice rang out and Draco hissed as he felt his wand slip from his fingers. Theo had it in his grip before Draco could think to flex his hand. 

“It was a mistake to come here, Malfoy. You just can’t help but make all the wrong decisions.” Theo turned and Draco couldn’t help but wince at the evil look in his eyes. 

“Nott, I swear. If you hurt her…” He spat through a clenched jaw and closed eyes. 

“Hah! I wouldn’t say you’re in a position to be making threats, mate. We could have used your skills, Malfoy. I’m sorry it has to be like this.” 

A yellow jet of magic hit him square in the chest and his light was snuffed out. 

\--------------------

Hermione woke drowsily to a cold, damp cell. She whimpered at the pain at her temple and could feel a warm liquid spreading down her face and neck. Blood, she assumed. 

“She wouldn’t just leave her damn wand, you imbeciles! Find it! It must be in her things or back at the cottage. GO!” A stampede of feet echoed down what she assumed was a long hall. 

They hadn’t discovered her wand. She sighed with relief. As long as her pants stayed on, she would be fine. She shivered as she realized the only instance in which her pants might be coming off. 

She looked down at her wrists and saw that they, along were her ankles were in shackles with incredibly short chains. She fought against them trying to reach her leg and with it, her wand. She whimpered with each reach, she would have awful bruises by the end of this, but there was no way to reach. As her gaze looked across the room, her breath caught and a sob escaped. 

Draco. 

He was hanging lifelessly from his own set of chains from the ceiling. 

“Draco.” She whispered through falling tears, “DRACO!” A little louder and more urgent. Nothing. She focused her magic, felt her wand hum on her thigh. 

“Ennervate.” She said fiercely and was rewarded with a thick gasp and a groan. “Draco! Are you hurt? What in the world are you doing here?!” She hadn’t meant to sound angry, but she was. 

“Granger. Oh Gods, Granger. You’re alive.” He breathed, but it was haggard. Broken ribs. “Have they hurt you?” 

“I’m gonna be alright. Are you ok?” 

“When am I not?” He managed a chuckle, but it was dark and hollow. She started sobbing hysterically. “Granger, it’s going to be Ok. Help is coming.” 

“I’m a stupid witch. I should have listened.” 

“Well, yes, you should have listened. We are going to have a long life of you learning over and over again that you should have listened to me.”

“I am going to try and get these locks off, it’ll just take a minute.” She managed through her broken sobs. 

“Aw!” A sarcastic voice cut through their moment, Hermione stopped crying immediately and tensed at the familiar voice. Theo. 

The door flew open magically and he stepped in, dressed impeccably and with a menacing scowl. 

“Our star crossed lovers, together again. You both really don’t know how to help yourselves from getting into these awful situations.” He shook his head. “Glad to see your awake, Malfoy. I would have hated for you to miss this.” A sadistic grin spreading across his face.

“I swear to Salazar himself, Nott. If you touch her, I will kill you.” Hermione was shaking and although she never wanted to hear Draco threaten a soul, in this case she was happy to have her very own Slytherin. 

“Silencio.” Nott gagged Malfoy from saying another word, and Hermione felt her heart twish and a wail escape. 

“Shh shh shhh, my sweet. We haven’t even started yet, and here you are falling to pieces.” He walked over to where she sat in her chains and rubbed his knuckle across her cheek. She flinched away from his touch and he brought his backhand down to hit the same spot he had just caressed. 

Draco’s chains started clanging furiously as he fought the jinx. She made eye contact with him and saw the tears in his eyes and the broken look of defeat on his face. 

She tried to send him a message with her eyes, to calm him. She took a deep, fortifying breath. She needed enough emotion to cast this correctly. Wandless magic, required so much more focus than traditional magic. 

“I’ll do whatever you want, Nott. You don’t have to hurt me. Just let Draco go, don’t lay a finger on him, and I’m yours.”

“Hmmm, whatever I want?” His voice cold and slithering, he was back to his caresses and was staring at Draco who was silently going between sobbing and cursing the Nott name silently. 

“Anything.” She said firmly. 

“Aw, but I haven’t even started to break the boyfriend. Not a finger, you say? Well, I always was creative.” He smirked evilly down Hermione, and she felt a rush of anger. Not enough. “Marry me?” He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back roughly, red flashing behind her eyelids. 

She yelped in pain. “WHAT?! I… I… What??” She was confused. She thought he wanted to have her body, break her a little, humiliate her. Marriage?

“Didn’t you know? There is going to be a little ceremony this evening, just a few close friends. Mine, not yours. You’ll be bonded to me in an unbreakable vow, or I will kill Draco. It’s really simple.” 

“Marriage?” She gasped again. 

“Don’t worry, it won’t be for long. Maybe… a year? It’ll be over before you know it.” She could feel her magic start to spread across her skin and swell at the holster on her thigh. “Now, my dearest fiance, I know we haven’t made it official before the Magistrate, but I thought maybe we could go ahead and consummate anyway.” Kissing her neck softly and causing goosebumps to spread over her flesh, and not in a good way. 

Her stomach wrenched and flopped, her skin blistered. 

“Draco, now I want to do this right. You wouldn’t mind bearing witness to our consummation, would you? Wouldn’t want anyone saying we didn’t do this wedding the old Pureblood way, even though our dear bride here is rather, uhm… untraditional, we’ll say,” he sniggered at his lame retort and yanked at Hermione’s ankles until she was flat on her back. 

“Theo?” She said sweetly, catching him off guard for a moment. “CONFRINGO.” Her magic surrounded her as it never had, projecting from her chest. He flew with an epic force toward the freezing cold, stone wall. The sound he made when his spine smashed against it, would have haunted her dreams, if he hadn’t been such a monster. 

Draco let out an audible gasp. Theo was dead, his spells broken. Hermione shattered into a spell of weeping, before finally pulling herself together. 

“Accio wand.” She muttered, and Theo’s wand found it’s way to her hands. She had killed him, it was hers if she wanted it. 

She couldn’t wait to break it into pieces. 

She pointed the wand at her shackles. “Alohomora.” 

\--------  
The chains broke open and she wiped at her cheeks furiously. She stood and walked to Draco, kissing his lips softly. 

He was broken. He had sat helplessly as she was almost assaulted, unable to save her. He collapsed from the weight of the realization that he was useless to her and his injuries didn’t help. 

“We’ve got to go Draco. Can you stand?” She cradled his face in her hands and looked so gently at him. 

“I love you.” He finally choked. 

“I love you, Draco. Let’s get the hell out of here.” She handed him Theo’s wand, and his gut twisted at the thought of using it. He grabbed it from her anyway. 

She undid the button on her jeans and reached down to her thigh, grabbing ahold of her wand. Ah, that was how she had managed the spell. 

Draco took a sobering breath. He might not have been able to save her from Nott, but he would save her from these damn dungeons and from any other scum lurking in their shadows. He wouldn’t hesitate again. 

They rounded the corner, and he thought they should turn left. He held her hands with a vice grip, never wishing to let it go. They froze when they heard voices coming from what seemed to be a large room off to the right. 

Draco brought his pointer finger up to his lips, shushing her. He cast a silencing spell on them, and they tiptoed closer to the room. Inside were 2 dozen former classmates and other children of Death Eaters. The revivalists. 

Draco smirked to himself.

“Colloportus,” he whispered, locking the door from the outside. What a nice surprise this would be to those useless Aurors waiting outside. The Death Eaters were none the wiser. For good measure with a wave of his wand he set up a ward he had used on his room in the Manor when he was a kid. No one would be allowed entry to this corridor from that room, except him. 

“Let’s go.” He kissed her temple and pulled her along towards the entry. 

As they rounded the corner, Draco’s skin prickled. He took a grip on his wand and before he could find the source of his discomfort, Hermione had launched a shield at their backs. Two brightly colored streams of magic bounced against her protection spell. 

The shield dropped and Hermione and Draco countered in unison, as the hooded Death Eaters shouted, “PROTEGO!”. They continued this dance between shielding and countering for a few rounds. He was firing rapidly, “Impedimentia! Reducto!” Hermione was quiet, but her magic was flowing quickly from her wand, her feet guiding them forward. 

Their enemies were firing unforgivables like they were cleaning spells. Draco landed a “Sectumsempra!” on the shoulder of the taller man, which got the attention of the shorter one. The shield dropped for an instant and Hermione wasted no time, and fired a non-verbal attack into the chest of the distracted Death Eater. He was thrown into the wall of the hallway. 

They quickly bound them with an Incarcerous, and looked down at their attackers. Draco shivered as he saw his two loyal lackeys from school, Crabbe and Goyle. He hadn’t realized they would be here, but of course they would.   
\------

As they made their way to the entry of the dungeons they heard a familiar voice. 

“Alohomora.” 

“Weasley! Are you completely incompetent? Did you honestly think that was going to work? Are you sure you’re even an auror?” Pansy’s voice chastised him. He could almost hear Weasley’s blush.

“Well at least I tried something, you daft bint. You haven’t even a clue how to get in! Some shotty fucking Death Eater you turned out to be.” 

“I was supposed to Portkey inside, you idiot! Nott didn’t give me a password! And for the LAST time, I am NOT a Death Eater!” She argued back. 

Draco let himself have an honest to goodness chuckle and Hermione joined in. They made their way up the stairs and found a dozen clueless Aurors and Pansy Parkinson trying to get into the dungeons. All of them out of breath and clearly having just arrived to find the door locked tightly.

They all let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the bloodied and battered pair ascending the staircase. Draco pushed it open with ease. 

“Did you try the handle, Ginger?” He smirked. “Potter. Mad-eye. We left you a surprise just down that way. I’d bring backup.” 

Malfoy wrapped his arms around Hermione, and pressed his lips against hers. They had done enough for today and quickly disappeared in a whirl of Apparition. 

\-------

They arrived in Draco’s room back at the Manor, still wrapped in each other’s embrace. 

“I’m sorry, Draco. I shouldn’t have gone.” She shook her head in embarrassment. 

“No. You really shouldn't've. However, the revivalist movement is about to be snuffed out.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Looks like you’ve saved the world again, Granger. Why you Gryffindors can’t do anything with a scrap of tact and planning, I’ll never know. Whatever will you do next?” 

“A vacation, perhaps? I know my boyfriend can’t be the only Pureblood Wizard without some other real estate.” 

That earned a scoff and a roll of the eyes from Draco. “Silly Witch, you haven’t seen anything yet.” He gave her a wicked smile and spun them again, this time into their happily ever after. It was long overdue in his opinion. 

\-----------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wah!
> 
> This is the end! Except for the epilogue :) 
> 
> Hope you've enjoyed the story, I so enjoyed writing it. Hoping to have Chapter 1 of the Prequel up soon. 
> 
> Prequel is titled : Diffindo 
> 
> It is going to be a WIP, so let me know if you have any scenes I can incorporate into Draco and Hermione's original love story!
> 
> Thanks for reading my first ever fanfic :D


	12. Epilogue.

“ I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. GO!” Hermione huffed and stomped her foot. 

“Darling, you’re pouting.” Draco chuckled to himself. “We have to go.” He wrapped his arms around her. 

“Is this some kind of joke? How is he possibly proposing? He’s known her for what 3.5 months? This is BOLLOCKS! WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING DRACO MALFOY?” She was shreiking in that adorable way that made her look like an irate kitten, but she probably was imagining herself as a lioness. 

“I thought you trusted the Weasel?” 

“Hah! I thought I did too… Obviously he’s not to be trusted. Maybe she Imperio’d him?”

“I seriously doubt that. Let me help with your zipper.” His long slender fingers trailed down her spine and he drank in the goosebumps that followed. “You’re stunning.” 

He twirled her around and loved the slinky rose gold dress she had chosen for the night. It was backless and hung from every curve deliciously. Her hair was piled up messily on the crown of her head and she was wearing the diamond studs from her parents and the matching 2 karat diamond pendant Draco had surprised her with that morning for her birthday. 

“Whatever. This whole night is bullshit.” She grabbed her clutch and stormed out of the room. Draco smirked to himself and smiled in pure bliss. Silly Witch. 

\--------

Pansy Parkinson was surely trying to punish Hermione. Not that Ron didn’t have many admirable qualities, but Pansy had no way of appreciating them. Now she was off to watch her ex-boyfriend and current best friend propose to the silly twit. 

Ron was over the moon in love with her, having fallen into a whirlwind romance after Pansy had barely assisted with her rescue. She had as much to do with the escape from the Nott Dungeons as a dragon has to do with Hogwarts. Sure, slightly related… but not really. 

Ron had, of course, planned something completely over the top, and now she was forced to bear witness to this ridiculous proposal. It was her damn birthday, nonetheless. Selfish Ronald. 

She stood tapping her foot impatiently and huffing out exaggerated breaths every few minutes. “LET’S GO! Lest we be late for the proposal of the century!” She yelled to Draco, who looked far too amused for his own good. 

“Not jealous, are we love? He did ask if it was OK if he proposed at your birthday party...” He fussed with his cufflinks unnecessarily and gave her a wink. 

“Don’t start with me tonight, Draco Malfoy. Dragon’s might not be only one’s capable of breathing fire. What in Merlin’s beard was I supposed to say?” She glared at him menacingly. 

Ronald Weasley and Pansy Parkinson getting engaged was preposterous. It was more preposterous that Draco hadn’t picked up on a single hint these last three months. He must be more dim witted than she had given him credit for. Stupid sizards everywhere. She ground her teeth. 

“You’re beautiful, Granger. Let’s have a good night, yes?” 

She grimaced at him and taking in his admonishing look, plastered a fake smile on her face and the ballroom doors at Malfoy Manor swung open. Greeting them were nearly a hundred of her closest friends, classmates and co-workers. If she hadn’t been in such a foul mood, she would have been overwhelmed at the love she felt by the sheer number of attendees. 

They had come so long since the Great Battle. Here in this room were Gryffindors, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Teachers, students, sons of Death Eaters and parents of war heros. The Wizarding World was united at last. 

They band began a slow waltz, and Draco whirled her into a dance that left her grinning. He was so incredibly graceful, it made her feel like a clutz. The eyes of everyone in the room, were on the pair of them and it felt, for lack of a better word, magical. 

She was madly in love with this man in her arms, and felt like the luckiest girl in the world. He had chosen her, had changed her and challenged her. He had given her more, and it was more than she even imagined when they walked the halls of Hogwarts all those moons ago. 

After their dance, they mingled with their guests hand in hand. They sipped champagne and thanked their guests for their generous donations to Malfoy’s newest charitable endeavour, SPEW, which Hermione had requested in lieu of birthday gifts.

Harry took a turn spinning her around the dance floor and gabbed on and on about his newest witch, some Hufflepuff a few years younger. 

Ronald stayed across the room, blushing deeply every time she made eye contact with him. Hiding behind Parkinson, who was wearing her normal sour, pug faced expression. He had reached new levels of rudeness to not even greet her on her birthday. 

After a few more songs and drinks, a completely over the top birthday cake was unveiled with the help of Poppy. It was dripping in rose gold embellishments and had the most delicious buttercream frosting. The room sang to her, and she blushed into Draco’s shoulder, a genuine smile on her face. 

The song died down and she looked teary eyed at her guests.

“Ahem.” She froze and turned to the front of the room. Ronald Bilius Weasley, you right bastard, was he going to propose during his toast?! “Harry and I just wanted to say a few words to our beautiful birthday girl.” 

He wouldn’t even look her in the eye, and for good reason. She was trying to light him on fire with her glare. 

“Hermione, in all of the years we have been friends you have been a constant source of love, companionship, light and goodness in Ron and I’s lives. Your incredible brain and fantastic magic have saved our sorry arses more times than we can count.” Harry eloquently spoke and she felt tears prickle the corner of her eyes, he handed the attention over to Ron, and Hermione’s eyes narrowed into slits.

“Tonight, and every night you deserve to be celebrated. You have taught us more than Hogwarts ever could, including how to love without condition and without prejudice.” 

Hermione was torn by feeling the need to tear him to pieces for stealing her birthday wishes for his own selfish purposes and wanting to shake him from making this huge mistake. 

“No one loves the way you do, Hermione. Without further ado…”

Hermione bit her tongue so hard she could taste the blood, she looked towards Parkinson who was wearing a know it all expression that Hermione had probably taught her back at Hogwarts. Hermione panicked a bit, maybe she really should stop this nonsense. 

“I want to hand the speech off to probably only man I would ever feel OK handing you off to. Don’t worry, he has our blessing. Blimey, if those aren’t the last words I thought I’d say.” He shook his head.

No proposal? Hermione turned in confusion to Draco, who had been just next to her. She spun in a quick circle and he was nowhere around. The few people who had been offering their birthday wishes had started to back slowly away, leaving a wide circle around Hermione. 

Draco appeared next to Ron, giving him a pat on the back. Her breath hitched in her throat. 

Oh. 

The room dimmed so that there was a soft light on Draco and Hermione, who were now standing some 15 feet apart. 

“Granger. You are the most incredible witch I have ever known. You fight for the less fortunate, you use your magic for strictly good, and have never harmed an innocent. You are flawlessly beautiful, and incredibly good hearted. You are the definition of good. You have made me a better man, by loving me. I hope to pay you back for all the wonderfulness you have brought to my life, and I plan on that taking a lifetime.” 

He was standing just in front of her then, and he was dropping slowly to one knee. His eyes a misty shade of silver. She had tears falling freely down her cheeks now, the happiest tears she had ever shed. He opened a small black box, that held an incredible princess cut diamond ring. 

“Hermione Granger, you have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. And wish from this day forth never to be parted from you. Will you do me the honor, of being my wife?” 

“Draco Malfoy, you sneaky Slytherin.” He grinned brightly. “Of course, I will.” 

With that the room exploded into a round of applause and he scooped her up and spun her. 

“Does this mean you’ll stop calling me Granger?” She whispered in his ear as they laughed. 

“Wouldn’t count on it, Granger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't help but slip in the little P&P quote in there. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading my little foray into the Dramione world. 
> 
> The first chapter of the prequel {Diffindo} will hopefully be up soon!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you are here and reading this! I have loved reading Dramione works, and I am so ecstatic to have written my first one! The story is finished, just finishing up final editing. 
> 
> In the following chapters there will be flashbacks to the beginning of Draco and Hermione's relationship. I had SO much fun writing those flashbacks, that I've started writing their Hogwarts story as well! 
> 
> I would love to know what you think!


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